text: SECTION 1. ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE OF FAMILIES OF MEMBERS OF THE 
                NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE DURING THEIR MOBILIZATION, 
                DEPLOYMENT, AND DEMOBILIZATION.
  
      (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
              (1) The members of the National Guard and Reserve have made 
          extraordinary contributions to Operation Iraqi Freedom and 
          Operation Enduring Freedom.
              (2) The scope and scale of recent mobilizations and 
          deployments of members of the National Guard and Reserve is 
          unprecedented in the modern history of the Armed Forces.
              (3) The frequency and length of such mobilizations and 
          deployments has placed significant strain on the family members 
          of deployed members.
              (4) The Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health 
          determined that family members of deployed members of the 
          National Guard and Reserve are more likely to experience mental 
          health challenges as a result of these mobilizations and 
          deployments.
              (5) The Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health 
          also determined that family members of deployed members of the 
          National Guard and Reserve are less likely to have ready access 
          to mental health care during periods of deployment.
              (6) Family members of members of the National Guard and 
          Reserve often live far from military installations that are the 
          primary locations for mental health care provided by the 
          Department of Defense.
              (7) Adequate support for family members of deployed members 
          of the Armed Forces is critical to maintaining morale, both on 
          the battlefield and on the home front.
      (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
  Department of Defense should undertake appropriate actions to ensure 
  that family members of members of the National Guard and Reserve who 
  are deployed have full access to mental health care during the periods 
  of mobilization, deployment, and demobilization of such members of the 
  National Guard and Reserve.
      (c) Initiative To Increase Access to Mental Health Care.--
              (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall undertake a 
          nationwide initiative intended to increase access to mental 
          health care for family members of members of the National Guard 
          and Reserve who are mobilized.
              (2) Elements.--The initiative shall include the following:
                      (A) Programs and activities to educate the family 
                  members of members of the National Guard and Reserve 
                  who are mobilized on potential mental health challenges 
                  connected with such mobilization.
                      (B) Programs and activities to provide such family 
                  members with complete information on all mental health 
                  care resources available to such family members through 
                  the Department of Defense and otherwise.
                      (C) Requirements for mental health counselors at 
                  military installations in communities with large 
                  numbers of mobilized members of the National Guard and 
                  Reserve to expand the reach of their counseling 
                  activities to include families of such members in such 
                  communities.
      (d) Mental Health Care Under TRICARE.--
              (1) In general.--Under such regulations as the Secretary of 
          Defense shall prescribe, reimbursement shall be provided under 
          the TRICARE program under chapter 55 of title 10, United States 
          Code, for any mental health care specified in paragraph (3) 
          that is provided to a family member of a covered member of the 
          National Guard or Reserve during the period of deployment of 
          such covered member of the National Guard or Reserve as 
          described in paragraph (2).
              (2) Covered members of the national guard or reserve.--For 
          purposes of this subsection, a covered member of the National 
          Guard or Reserve is any member of the National Guard or Reserve 
          on active duty for more than 30 days for a deployment in 
          connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring 
          Freedom who, while so on active duty, is covered by the TRICARE 
          program on a for self and family basis.
              (3) Mental health care.--The mental health care specified 
          in this paragraph is mental health care as follows:
                      (A) Mental health care otherwise provided to 
                  covered dependents of members of the uniformed services 
                  under the TRICARE program.
                      (B) Any mental health care and treatment that is 
                  provided at a facility accredited by the Joint 
                  Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare 
                  Organizations.
                      (C) Any mental health care and treatment that is 
                  provided at a facility accredited by a State-
                  accrediting institution, including a facility not 
                  otherwise recognized as an authorized provider under 
                  the TRICARE program.
                      (D) Chemical dependency treatment at any partial 
                  hospital program, substance-abuse disorder 
                  rehabilitation facility, or residential treatment 
                  center accredited by the Joint Commission on 
                  Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations or by a 
                  State-accrediting institution.
              (4) Effective date.--This subsection shall take effect on 
          January 1, 2008.
      (e) Reports.--
              (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
          the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the 
          Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed 
          Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a 
          report on this section.
              (2) Elements.--Each report shall include the following:
                      (A) A current assessment of the extent to which 
                  family members of members of the National Guard and 
                  Reserve who are deployed have access to, and are 
                  utilizing, mental health care available under this 
                  section.
                      (B) A current assessment of the quality of mental 
                  health care being provided d to family members of the 
                  National Guard and Reserve who are deployed at State-
                  accredited treatment centers.
                      (C) Such recommendations for legislative or 
                  administrative action as the Secretary considers 
                  appropriate in order to further assure full access by 
                  family members of members of the National Guard and 
                  Reserve who are deployed to mental health care during 
                  the mobilization, deployment, and demobilization of 
                  such members of the National Guard and Reserve.
target: Expresses the sense of Congress that the Department of Defense (DOD) should undertake actions to ensure that family members of National Guard and Reserve personnel who are deployed have full access to mental health care during the periods of mobilization, deployment, and demobilization.
  
  Requires the Secretary of Defense to undertake an initiative to increase access to mental health care, including education concerning mental health challenges and information on available resources, for family members of such personnel who are mobilized.
  
  Requires reimbursement under the TRICARE program for certain mental health care services, including chemical dependency treatment, provided to a family member of a covered Guard or Reserve member during a period of deployment on active duty for more than 30 days in connection with Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom who, while on such duty, is covered by the TRICARE program on a for self and family basis.
  
  Requires regular reports from the Secretary assessing the access and quality of such family mental health care services and recommendations for legislative and administrative action.
feat_title: A bill to ensure that families of members of the National Guard and Reserve have full access to mental health care during the mobilization, deployment, and demobilization of such members, and for other purposes.