S.Res. 455Senate112th Congress (2011-2013)Passed Congress

A resolution designating June 27, 2012, as "National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day".

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4 earlier actions

SenateFloor Latest Action

Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S3658-3659)

May 24, 2012

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 10, 2012

SenateIntro Referral

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3090)

May 10, 2012

SenateIntro Referral

Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3089-3090)

Judiciary Committee

May 10, 2012

SenateDischarge

Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S3658-3659)

Judiciary Committee

May 24, 2012

SenateFloor

Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S3658-3659)

May 24, 2012

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about S.Res. 455 on the floor

2 Democrats

Sen. Kent ConradD-ND · May 10, 2012

Mr. President, today I am submitting--for the third year in a row--resolution to designate June 27 as National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day. That date was inspired by the birthday of North Dakota National Guard Staff Sergeant Joe Biel. Staff Sergeant Biel served two tours of duty in Iraq as a Trailblazer, part of a unit responsible for route clearance operations. Each day, Joe's mission was to go out with his unit to find and remove Improvised Explosive Devices and other dangers from heavily traveled roads to make it safe for coalition forces and Iraqi civilians to travel. Joe lost his post- deployment struggle and, suffering from PTSD, tragically took his own life 6 months after returning home. There is no doubt that Joe Biel is a hero who gave his life for our country.

I learned of Joe's story because friends from his platoon, the 4th Platoon, A Company, of the North Dakota National Guard's 164th Combat Engineer Battalion, have organized an annual motorcycle ride across the State of North Dakota in his memory. The Joe Biel Memorial Ride serves as a reunion for the 164th, a memorial for a lost friend, and a beacon to those suffering from PTSD and other mental health issues across the region. The key point made to me by the event's organizer, Staff Sergeant Matt Leaf, is that we have to raise awareness of this issue so that the lives of service members, veterans, and other PTSD sufferers and their families can be saved.

For many, the war does not end when the warrior comes home. All too many service members and veterans face PTSD symptoms like anxiety, anger, and depression as they try to adjust to life after war. We cannot sweep these problems under the rug. PTSD is real. We know PTSD is caused by a traumatic event. We also know that we are sending our troops into combat situations where they are going to experience traumatic events. We know that the percentage of PTSD diagnoses increases with each deployment into combat. We know, as a nation, that we must take responsibility to help our sons and daughters cope with what they have experienced. We owe them that much.

When our troops came home from Vietnam, we ignored their health concerns for far too long. When our troops came home from the first Gulf War we tried to make sure the government was doing all it could to resolve their health concerns. PTSD is this conflict's Gulf War Illness. The Department of Defense has created a Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury and teams with the National Institute for Mental Health and universities to address PTSD. The Department of Veterans Affairs has likewise established the National Center for the study of PTSD. These departments have made significant advances in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD and its symptoms to help us live up to our responsibility.

But more can and must be done. We need to ensure that these efforts are coordinated. In 1995, a President's Advisory Commission was created to conduct an independent, open, and comprehensive review of government activities relating to Gulf War illness. Today, I am calling on President Obama to establish a new Presidential Advisory Commission to conduct a similar review of the Government's efforts to address PTSD in order to maximize the time and treasure we are spending on solving this problem. We owe it to those who have served.

I am proud that Staff Sergeant Leaf and his fellow Trailblazers continue the annual Joe Biel Memorial Bike Ride, to be held on Memorial Day this year. am proud that I was able to help boost their efforts to bring attention to this issue by creating a National PTSD Awareness Day. I am proud to introduce this Resolution once again. Actions like these garner attention and help to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health issues. They are about letting our troops and veterans know it is okay to come forward and say they need help--that it is a sign of strength, not weakness, to seek assistance. And they help show that we can, and we must, do more.

Sen. Harry ReidD-NV · May 24, 2012

I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 455. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the…

Bill Text

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Agreed to SenateIssued May 24, 2012

III

112th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. RES. 455

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 10, 2012

Mr. Conrad (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Casey, Mr. Coons, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Snowe, Ms. Stabenow, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Tester, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Johnson of South Dakota, and Mr. Franken) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

May 24, 2012

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to

RESOLUTION

Designating June 27, 2012, as National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day.

Whereas the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces, who proudly serve the United States, risk their lives to protect the freedom of the United States and deserve the investment of every possible resource to ensure their lasting physical, mental, and emotional well-being;

Whereas more than 2,000,000 servicemembers have deployed overseas as part of overseas contingency operations since the events of September 11, 2001;

Whereas the military has sustained an operational tempo for a period of time unprecedented in the history of the United States, with many servicemembers deploying multiple times, placing them at high risk of PTSD;

Whereas according to the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, approximately 90,000 servicemembers who have returned from overseas contingency operations have been clinically diagnosed with PTSD;

Whereas the Department of Veterans Affairs reports that—

(1)

since 2002, more than 217,000 of the more than 750,000 veterans of overseas contingency operations who have sought care at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical center have been diagnosed with PTSD; and

(2)

in fiscal year 2011, more than 475,000 of the nearly 6,000,000 veterans from all wars who sought care at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical center received treatment for PTSD;

Whereas many cases of PTSD remain unreported, undiagnosed, and untreated due to a lack of awareness about PTSD and the persistent stigma associated with mental health issues;

Whereas PTSD significantly increases the risk of depression, suicide, and drug- and alcohol-related disorders and deaths, especially if left untreated;

Whereas perceived or actual symptoms of PTSD or other mental health issues create unique challenges for veterans seeking employment;

Whereas the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have made significant advances in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD and the symptoms of PTSD, but many challenges remain; and

Whereas the establishment of a National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day will raise public awareness about issues related to PTSD, reduce the stigma associated with PTSD, and help ensure that those suffering from the invisible wounds of war receive proper treatment: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate—

(1)

designates June 27, 2012, as National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day;

(2)

supports the efforts of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense to educate servicemembers, veterans, the families of servicemembers and veterans, and the public about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (referred to in this resolution as PTSD); and

(3)

respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate transmit a copy of this resolution to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense.