An amendment numbered 62 printed in House Report 111-498 to express a Sense of Congress concerning the implementation of the Congressionally-mandated recommendations of the Institute of Medicine study.

1. Adds SEC. 727. SENSE OF CONGRESS CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONGRESSIONALLY-MANDATED RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE STUDY on page 284, line 22

   Adds a sectionPrinted page

   Inserted: SEC. 727. SENSE OF CONGRESS CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONGRESSIONALLY-MANDATED RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE STUDY.

   Inserted: (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:

   Inserted: (1) Section 717 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181; 10 U.S.C. 1073 note) directed the Secretary of Defense to enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study and make recommendations regarding the credentials, preparation, and training of licensed mental health counselors.

   Inserted: (2) In the study, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences recommends permitting counselors to practice independently under the TRICARE program.

   Inserted: (3) In addition, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences recommends that TRICARE implement a comprehensive quality management system for all of its mental health professionals.

   Inserted: (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should implement the requirements of subsection (a) of such section 717 by not later than December 31, 2010, because such implementation will increase the urgently needed mental health staff of the Department of Defense and ensure that members of the Armed Forces will receive timely and confidential post-deployment screenings with a mental health professional.

   Original wording

   Page 284, after line 22, insert the following:

Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.

As printed