§1074f. Medical tracking system for members deployed overseas

(a) System Required.-The Secretary of Defense shall establish a system to assess the medical condition of members of the armed forces (including members of the reserve components) who are deployed outside the United States or its territories or possessions as part of a contingency operation (including a humanitarian operation, peacekeeping operation, or similar operation) or combat operation.

(b) Elements of System.-(1) The system described in subsection (a) shall include the use of predeployment medical examinations and postdeployment medical examinations (including an assessment of mental health and the drawing of blood samples) to accurately record the medical condition of members before their deployment and any changes in their medical condition during the course of their deployment. The postdeployment examination shall be conducted when the member is redeployed or otherwise leaves an area in which the system is in operation (or as soon as possible thereafter).

(2) The predeployment and postdeployment medical examination of a member of the armed forces required under paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(A) An assessment of the current treatment of the member and any use of psychotropic medications by the member for a mental health condition or disorder.

(B) An assessment of traumatic brain injury.

(c) Recordkeeping.-The results of all medical examinations conducted under the system, records of all health care services (including immunizations) received by members described in subsection (a) in anticipation of their deployment or during the course of their deployment, and records of events occurring in the deployment area that may affect the health of such members shall be retained and maintained in a centralized location to improve future access to the records.

(d) Quality Assurance.-(1) The Secretary of Defense shall establish a quality assurance program to evaluate the success of the system in ensuring that members described in subsection (a) receive predeployment medical examinations and postdeployment medical examinations and that the recordkeeping requirements with respect to the system are met.

(2) The quality assurance program established under paragraph (1) shall also include the following elements:

(A) The types of healthcare providers conducting postdeployment health assessments.

(B) The training received by such providers applicable to the conduct of such assessments, including training on assessments and referrals relating to mental health.

(C) The guidance available to such providers on how to apply the clinical practice guidelines developed under subsection (e)(1) in determining whether to make a referral for further evaluation of a member of the armed forces relating to mental health.

(D) The effectiveness of the tracking mechanisms required under this section in ensuring that members who receive referrals for further evaluations relating to mental health receive such evaluations and obtain such care and services as are warranted.

(E) Programs established for monitoring the mental health of each member who, after deployment to a combat operation or contingency operations, is known-

(i) to have a mental health condition or disorder; or

(ii) to be receiving treatment, including psychotropic medications, for a mental health condition or disorder.

(e) Criteria for Referral for Further Evaluations.-The system described in subsection (a) shall include-

(1) development of clinical practice guidelines to be utilized by healthcare providers in determining whether to refer a member of the armed forces for further evaluation relating to mental health (including traumatic brain injury);

(2) mechanisms to ensure that healthcare providers are trained in the application of such clinical practice guidelines; and

(3) mechanisms for oversight to ensure that healthcare providers apply such guidelines consistently.

(f) Minimum Mental Health Standards for Deployment.-(1) The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe in regulations minimum standards for mental health for the eligibility of a member of the armed forces for deployment to a combat operation or contingency operation.

(2) The standards required by paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(A) A specification of the mental health conditions, treatment for such conditions, and receipt of psychotropic medications for such conditions that preclude deployment of a member of the armed forces to a combat operation or contingency operation, or to a specified type of such operation.

(B) Guidelines for the deployability and treatment of members of the armed forces diagnosed with a severe mental illness or post traumatic stress disorder.

(3) The Secretary shall take appropriate actions to ensure the utilization of the standards prescribed under paragraph (1) in the making of determinations regarding the deployability of members of the armed forces to a combat operation or continency ¹ operation.

(Added Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title VII, §765(a)(1), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1826 ; amended Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title VII, §738(a)–(d), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2303 .)

Amendments

2006-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–364, §738(a), designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 109–364, §738(d), designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 109–364, §738(b), added subsec. (e).

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 109–364, §738(c), added subsec. (f).

Implementation

Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title VII, §738(f), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2304 , provided that: "The Secretary of Defense shall implement the requirements of the amendments made by this section [amending this section] not later than six months after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 17, 2006]."

Interim Standards for Blood Sampling

Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title VII, §733(b), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1998 , as amended by Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title X, §1071(g)(9), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2402 , provided that:

"(1) Time requirements.-Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary of Defense shall require that-

"(A) the blood samples necessary for the predeployment medical examination of a member of the Armed Forces required under section 1074f(b) of title 10, United States Code, be drawn not earlier than 120 days before the date of the deployment; and

"(B) the blood samples necessary for the postdeployment medical examination of a member of the Armed Forces required under such section 1074f(b) of such title be drawn not later than 30 days after the date on which the deployment ends.

"(2) Contingent applicability.-The standards under paragraph (1) shall apply unless the Joint Medical Readiness Oversight Committee established by section 731(b) [10 U.S.C. 1074 note] recommends, and the Secretary approves, different standards for blood sampling."

¹ So in original.