H.R. 6383House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Brandon Act Training and Protocol Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated December 19, 2025 at 8:01 AM UTC

The Brandon Act Training and Protocol Act directs the Secretary of Defense to develop a comprehensive strategic plan aimed at reducing suicide and improving mental‑health services for members of the Armed Forces. The plan must create uniform referral procedures, widely share information about those procedures, and establish standardized training and certification for commanders, senior enlisted leaders, and medical personnel. It targets all service members by enhancing awareness, early identification, and response to mental‑health concerns.

Key Provisions

The Secretary of Defense, together with the military department secretaries and the Defense Health Agency, must create a strategic plan focused on preventing suicide and improving mental‑health services for service members.
The plan must set uniform rules for the self‑referral process that lets service members request mental‑health evaluations, and must ensure the process is widely publicized through posters, flyers and ads.
It must require standardized mental‑health training for all service members, with special courses for commanders, senior enlisted leaders and medical staff on spotting and handling mental‑health issues.
The training must include a certification system that proves participants have completed the required courses and understand how to respond when someone uses the self‑referral process.
The training must also teach how to recognize signs of mental‑health distress in personnel.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Armed Services Committee

December 3, 2025

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

December 3, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Armed Services Committee

December 3, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued December 3, 2025

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 6383

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 3, 2025

Mr. Cisneros (for himself and Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategic plan to address mental health of members of the Armed Forces.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Brandon Act Training and Protocol Act.

Strategic plan to address mental health of members of the Armed Forces

(a)

Plan

The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with each Secretary of a military department and the Director of the Defense Health Agency, shall develop a strategic plan to address suicide by members of the Armed Forces and the mental health services provided to members.

(b)

Elements

The plan under subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1)

Developing and enforcing uniform protocols with respect to—

(A)

the regulations prescribed for the self-initiated referral process under section 1090b(e) of title 10, United States Code, for members of the Armed Forces seeking mental health evaluations; and

(B)

the provision of information, including through workplace posters, flyers, and advertisements, to ensure members are aware of such referral process.

(2)

Standardized mental health training for members of the Armed Forces, including—

(A)

specialized training for commanders, senior enlisted leaders, and medical personnel on identifying and addressing mental health concerns;

(B)

the development of a certification process based on completion of training with documented proof of compliance;

(C)

how to respond when a member initiates the referral process under section 1090b(e) of title 10, United States Code; and

(D)

how to recognize signs indicating mental health distress.