S. 3245: Medical Integrity in Necessary Diagnostics for Our Veterans Act of 2025

This bill, known as the Medical Integrity in Necessary Diagnostics for Our Veterans Act of 2025, aims to enhance the mental health screening process for members of the Armed Forces who are transitioning out of military service. It includes several key proposals:

Improvement of Mental Health Screening

The legislation emphasizes the importance of effective mental health screening before a service member separates from the military. It asserts that:

• All mental health screens conducted during separation health assessments should be validated, meaning they have been proven to be effective and reliable.
• The Department of Defense (DoD) is encouraged to thoroughly implement these validated screens during the separation health assessments.
• Screening for substance use is regarded as a necessary mental health assessment and should be incorporated into the overall screening process.

Validated Mental Health Screens

The Joint Executive Committee, which oversees mental health assessments, is tasked with modifying existing screens related to:

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Alcohol use
• Risk of violence

These screens must be updated to ensure they are validated tools, which may involve either enhancing current screens or adopting already validated ones.

Inclusion of Substance Use Screening

The bill requires that substance use be treated as a significant aspect of mental health screening. The Joint Executive Committee must evaluate the possibility of including a validated substance use screen in the separation health assessments and must report to Congress on its findings within 120 days of the bill's enactment.

Implementation Timeline

Additionally, within 120 days following the bill's passage, the Secretary of Defense is mandated to fully implement the revised separation health assessments under the guidance of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.

Definitions

Key terms in the bill include:

• Appropriate Congressional Committees: This refers to the Senate and House committees focused on Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs.
• Joint Executive Committee: This is the committee formed by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to oversee joint services.
• Separation Health Assessment: This refers to the health evaluation conducted for service members as they transition out of military service.

Relevant Companies

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