SR 21 — Urge Congress support military, veteran mental health treatment

As(136th AdoptedGeneralAssembly) by(Senate theResolution SenateNumber 136th21) GeneralARESOLUTION AssemblyTo Regularurge Sessionthe S.U.S.

Congress to support the provision of prompt and comprehensive mental health treatment to military personnel and veterans who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other service-related stress disorders.

Be it resolved by the Senate of the State of Ohio:

WHEREAS, According to the National Institutes of Health, the most common mental health problems faced by returning troops are, in order, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance use disorder, anxiety disorder, and serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder;

and WHEREAS, The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were the longest combat operations since Vietnam, and the stress of being in a war zone or long-term naval deployment combined with the stress of being away from home for long periods of time can increase the chance of having PTSD or other mental health problems;

and WHEREAS, According to research conducted at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and PublicAffairs, 30,177 active duty personnel and veterans who served in the military after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks have died by suicide compared to the 7,057 service members killed in combat in those same 20 years;

and WHEREAS, According to the United Service Organizations, Inc., suicide rates among active-duty military members in 2021 were at an all-time high since recordkeeping began after September 11, 2001, and had been increasing over the previous five years at an alarmingly steady pace;

and WHEREAS, The U.S.

Department of VeteransAffairs, the U.S.

Department of Defense, and many other entities are working to identify and address the issues of veterans and military personnel suffering from PTSD and other service-related stress disorders;

and WHEREAS, The United States Department of Veterans Affairs has established the National Center for PTSD as a center of excellence for research and education on the prevention, understanding, and treatment of PTSD;

and WHEREAS, According to the U.S.

Department of Veterans Affairs, each medical center within the Department has PTSD specialists who provide treatment for veterans with PTSD;

and WHEREAS, Mental trauma may not be as easily identifiable as the physical trauma suffered by military personnel and veterans, and may require additional resources to identify and treat;

and WHEREAS, Only qualified and licensed medical professionals with experience treating military personnel and veterans should have the authority to approve or disapprove mental health treatment of military personnel and veterans experiencing service-related stress disorders;

and WHEREAS, While support and treatment programs are available to veterans and military personnel suffering from PTSD or other service-related stress disorders, there are many service members who are still not receiving sufficient treatment;

and WHEREAS, Several recommendations made by the U.S.

Government Accountability Office to S.

21 2025-2026136th SenatorG.A. Schaffer Cosponsors:

Senators Brenner, Koehler, Liston, DeMora, O'Brien, Wilkin, Weinstein, Smith, Patton, Johnson, Craig, Antonio, Blackshear, Blessing, Chavez, Cirino, Cutrona, Gavarone, Hicks-Hudson, Huffman, Ingram, Landis, Manning, Reineke, Reynolds, Roegner, Romanchuk, Timken, Wilson A R E S O L U T I O N To urge the U.S.

CongressDepartment toof supportDefense thehave provisionnot ofyet 1been promptfully implemented to ensure that PTSD and comprehensivetraumatic mentalbrain healthinjuries treatmentare appropriately considered prior to 2separating certain service members from the military personnelfor andmisconduct, veteransthereby whoplacing areboth sufferingthe fromearned 3benefits post-traumaticdue stressto disorderveterans and otherthe service-mental 4health relatedof stresssome disorders.service members and veterans in jeopardy;

5and BEWHEREAS, ITThe RESOLVEDservice BYmembers THEwho SENATEwillingly OFsacrifice THEtheir STATEsafety OFfor OHIO:the freedom of all Americans deserve to have access to all the resources and support services necessary for them to reintegrate into society;

and WHEREAS, According to the NationalU.S. Institutes of Health, 6 the most common mental health problems faced by returning troops 7 are, in order, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder 8 (PTSD), substance use disorder, anxiety disorder, and serious 9 mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder;

andDepartment 10of WHEREAS,Veterans TheAffairs, warsa inperson Afghanistanwho andserved Iraqin were the longestactive 11military, combatnaval, operationsor sinceair Vietnam,service and thewho stresswas ofdischarged being in a 12 war zone or long-termreleased navalunder deploymentconditions combinedother withthan thedishonorable stressmay 13qualify of being away from home for longVA periodshealth ofcare timebenefits canincluding increasequalifying 14Reserve theand chanceNational ofGuard havingmembers; PTSD or other mental health problems;

now therefore be it RESOLVED, That we, the members of the Ohio Senate of the 136th General Assembly, urge the United States Congress to support the provision of prompt and 15comprehensive WHEREAS,mental Accordinghealth diagnosis and treatment to researchall conductedmilitary atpersonnel Brownand 16veterans University'swho Watsonare Institutesuffering forfrom InternationalPTSD and Publicother 17service-related S.stress disorders;

R.and be it further RESOLVED, That we urge the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that each of the U.S.

No.Government Accountability Office's recommendations is implemented to guarantee that PTSD and traumatic brain injuries are appropriately considered prior to separating certain service members from the military for misconduct;

21and Pagebe 2it Asfurther AdoptedRESOLVED, byThat thewe Senatebelieve Affairs,military 30,177 active duty personnel and veterans who servedhad inseparation 18or thedischarge from military afterservice therelated Septemberto 11,mental 2001,health terroristissues attacksshould 19 have diedconsideration byto suicidecorrect comparedrecords to thea 7,057more servicehonorable membersdischarge; 20 killed in combat in those same 20 years;

and 21be WHEREAS,it Accordingfurther toRESOLVED, theThat Unitedwe Serviceaffirm Organizations,that 22post-military Inc.,service suicidecivilian ratesincome amongshould active-dutynot militaryhave membersany inbearing 2021on 23eligibility werefor athealthcare-related anbenefits all-timeor hightreatment; since recordkeeping began after 24 September 11, 2001, and had been increasing over the previous 25 five years at an alarmingly steady pace;

and 26be WHEREAS,it Thefurther RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Speaker and Clerk of the U.S.

DepartmentHouse of VeteransRepresentatives, Affairs,the President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the U.S.

27Senate, Department of Defense, and many other entities are working to 28 identify and address the issuesmembers of veteransthe andOhio militaryCongressional 29delegation, personnel suffering from PTSD and otherthe service-relatednews stressmedia 30of disorders;Ohio.

andPresident 31_________________ WHEREAS, The United States Department of Veterans Affairs 32 has established the NationalSenate. Center for PTSD as a center of 33 excellence for research and education on the prevention, 34 understanding, and treatment of PTSD;

andAdopted 35____________________, WHEREAS,20____ According to the U.S.

Department of Veterans 36 Affairs, each medical center within the Department has PTSD 37 specialists who provide treatment for veterans with PTSD;

and 38 WHEREAS, Mental trauma may not be as easily identifiable as 39 the physical trauma suffered by military personnel and veterans, 40 and may require additional resources to identify and treat;

and 41 WHEREAS, Only qualified and licensed medical professionals 42 with experience treating military personnel and veterans should 43 have the authority to approve or disapprove mental health 44 treatment of military personnel and veterans experiencing 45 service-related stress disorders;

and 46 WHEREAS, While support and treatment programs are available 47 to veterans and military personnel suffering from PTSD or other 48 S.

R.

No.