Sec. 7603. Comptroller General review of quality and availability of Coast Guard behavioral health care and resources for personnel wellness
567 words·~3 min read·
/bill/119/s/1071/eah/section-7603A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall commence a review of the quality and availability of behavioral health care and related resources for Coast Guard personnel at the locations described in subsection (b). In conducting the review under subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall— first review the practices and policies relating to the availability of behavioral health care and related resources at Training Center Cape May; and review such practices and policies at— the Coast Guard Academy, including Officer Candidate School; and other Coast Guard training locations, as applicable.
The review conducted under subsection
(a)shall include, for each location described in subsection (b), an assessment, and a description of available trend information (as applicable) for the 10-year period preceding the date of the review, with respect to each of the following: The nature of Coast Guard resources directed toward behavioral health services at the location. The manner in which the Coast Guard has managed treatment for recruits, cadets, officer candidates, or other personnel who may be experiencing a behavioral health crisis at the location (including individuals who have transferred to other buildings or facilities within the location). The extent to which the Coast Guard has identified the resources, such as physical spaces and facilities, necessary to manage behavioral health challenges and crises that Coast Guard personnel may face at the location. The behavioral health screenings required by the Coast Guard for recruits, cadets, officer candidates, or other personnel at the location, and the manner in which such screenings compare with screenings required by the Department of Defense for military recruits, service academy cadets, officer candidates, or other personnel at military service accession points. Whether the Coast Guard has assessed the adequacy of behavioral health resources and services for recruits, cadets, officer candidates, and other personnel at the location, and if so, the additional services and resources (such as resilience and life skills coaching), if any, needed to address any potential gaps. The manner in which the Coast Guard manages care transfers related to behavior health at the location, including command and other management input and privacy policies. The extent to which the Coast Guard has evaluated contributing factors or reasons for behavioral health crises experienced by newly enlisted personnel, cadets, officer candidates, or other personnel at the location. The extent to which the Coast Guard has addressed, at the location, provider care staffing standards and credentialing deficiencies identified in the report of the Comptroller General titled Coast Guard Health Care: Improvements Needed for Determining Staffing Needs and Monitoring Access to Care , issued on February 4, 2022. The Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives— as soon as practicable but not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, a report relating to the results of the review conducted under subsection
(a)relating to Training Center Cape May, including any recommendations the Comptroller General considers appropriate; and not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act— a report on the results of the review conducted under subsection
(a)relating to— the Coast Guard Academy, including Officer Candidate School; and other Coast Guard training locations, as applicable; and any recommendations the Comptroller General considers appropriate.