MEPS Act
Latest action · Jul 1, 2014 Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMar 26, 2014
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Medical Evaluation Parity for Servicemembers Act of 2014 or the MEPS Act - Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned to: (1) provide an individual with a mental health assessment before such individual enlists or is commissioned as an officer in an Armed Force, and (2) use such results as a baseline for any subsequent mental health examinations.
Prohibits the Secretary from considering the results of such assessment in determining the assignment or promotion of a member of the Armed Forces.
Directs the Secretary to treat such assessment in the same manner as medical records with respect to laws and regulations relating to the privacy of information.
Requires the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to submit to Congress and the Secretary of Defense (DOD) a report on preliminary mental health assessments of members of the Armed Forces, including recommendations regarding: (1) establishing a preliminary mental health assessment of members of the Armed Forces to establish parity with physical screenings; and (2) the composition of the mental health assessment, best practices, and how to track assessment changes relating to traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions.
Cosponsors 40
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Mar 26, 2014 to Dec 10, 2014; 10 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-TN | David P. Roe | Original | Mar 26, 2014 |
| D-VI | Donna M. Christensen | Original | Mar 26, 2014 |
| D-CA | Grace F. Napolitano | Original | Mar 26, 2014 |
| R-PA | Lou Barletta | Original | Mar 26, 2014 |
| R-NC | Mark Meadows | Original | Mar 26, 2014 |
| R-PA | Mike Kelly | Original | Mar 26, 2014 |
| R-UT | Rob Bishop | Original | Mar 26, 2014 |
| D-OH | Tim Ryan | Original | Mar 26, 2014 |
| R-PA | Tom Marino | Original | Mar 26, 2014 |
| R-NC | Walter B. Jones | Original | Mar 26, 2014 |
| R-PA | Michael G. Fitzpatrick | Mar 27, 2014 | |
| D-MA | Niki Tsongas | Mar 27, 2014 | |
| R-TX | Michael T. McCaul | Apr 1, 2014 | |
| D-IL | Bobby L. Rush | Apr 7, 2014 | |
| D-CA | Judy Chu | Apr 7, 2014 | |
| R-NJ | Frank A. LoBiondo | Apr 8, 2014 | |
| R-SD | Kristi L. Noem | Apr 8, 2014 | |
| R-NY | Peter T. King | Apr 8, 2014 | |
| R-ND | Kevin Cramer | Apr 9, 2014 | |
| R-PA | Scott Perry | Apr 9, 2014 | |
| R-WV | Shelley Moore Capito | Apr 9, 2014 | |
| D-MN | Timothy J. Walz | Apr 10, 2014 | |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | Apr 28, 2014 | |
| D-MA | James P. McGovern | Apr 28, 2014 | |
| R-CO | Mike Coffman | Apr 28, 2014 | |
| D-HI | Tulsi Gabbard | Apr 28, 2014 | |
| D-IL | William L. Enyart | Apr 30, 2014 | |
| R-MO | Billy Long | May 7, 2014 | |
| R-TX | Randy K. Weber, Sr. | May 7, 2014 | |
| R-GA | Doug Collins | May 9, 2014 | |
| D-NY | Nita M. Lowey | May 9, 2014 | |
| D-IL | Robin L. Kelly | May 9, 2014 | |
| R-MI | Kerry L. Bentivolio | May 19, 2014 | |
| D-FL | Alcee L. Hastings | May 20, 2014 | |
| R-NY | Christopher P. Gibson | May 20, 2014 | |
| D-CA | Julia Brownley | May 29, 2014 | |
| D-IN | André Carson | Jun 17, 2014 | |
| D-NH | Carol Shea-Porter | Jul 15, 2014 | |
| D-NY | Jose E. Serrano | Nov 12, 2014 | |
| R-TX | Pete Sessions | Dec 10, 2014 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Armed Services Committee | Referred Mar 26, 2014 |
| Military Personnel Subcommittee | Referred Jul 1, 2014 |
Actions 5
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 1, 2014Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
- Apr 10, 2014Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H3148)
- Apr 9, 2014Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H3065)
- Mar 26, 2014Introduced in House
- Mar 26, 2014Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
In the Congressional Record 4
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | Debate and remarks H7401 | Glenn Thompson R-PA | Sep 10, 2014 |
| House | Debate and remarks H3148 | Glenn Thompson R-PA | Apr 10, 2014 |
| House | Debate and remarks H3065 | Glenn Thompson R-PA | Apr 9, 2014 |
| House | Debate and remarks H2614 | Glenn Thompson R-PA | Mar 25, 2014 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the page H2696.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 2231 | MEPS Act | Related bill | Apr 9, 2014 |
Titles 3
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide an individual with a mental health assessment before the individual enlists in the Armed Forces or is commissioned as an officer in the Armed Forces.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- MEPS Act
- Medical Evaluation Parity for Servicemembers Act of 2014
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Mar 26, 2014Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
