Buchanan promotes legislation to boost military mental health access

WASHINGTON, D.C. (FLV) – U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., introduced legislation he said would identify holes in the current mental health care system for active-duty service members.

“The health and safety of our active-duty military community is one of my top priorities in Congress,” Buchanan said.

He filed the bill after reports of seven sailors taking their own lives while stationed aboard the USS George Washington in 2022.

“Unfortunately, military service often takes an immense psychological toll on our service members and far too many are dying by suicide as a result. We need to ensure our men and women in uniform have access to critical mental health care services where they are stationed so they remain healthy and ready to serve their country,” Buchanan said.

The legislation, called the “Treating Invisible Wounds on Base Act,” would require the Department of Defense complete a study on the accessibility of mental health care providers on military bases.

The study would also look at the accessibility of inpatient mental health services for service members.

It propose ways to improve accessibility and present the suggestions to Congress.

U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott, D-Va., Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., introduced the bill.

According to the DOD Suicide Report, 328 active duty service members committed suicide in 2021.