Rep. Cisneros Secures Improvements to Military Health and Housing Within the Fy 2020 National Defense Authorization Act

Statement

Congressman Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (D-CA), after participating in months of Committee hearings examining environmental and mental health issues facing servicemembers, secured a number of provisions in the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Part of Rep. Cisneros' improvements include directing the Department of Defense (DoD) to establish a holistic mental health care program, expand an existing pilot program that provides gender-specific transition services and mental health programs for servicewomen, and protect military families from environmental and health concerns in privatized military housing.

"I am proud that my colleagues from both sides of the aisle joined me to achieve progress for military health and protections for servicemembers in privatized military housing," said Rep. Cisneros. "We must continue to make every effort to improve the quality of healthcare for servicemembers, particularly to address mental health concerns and women's health, and ensure that the facilities in which our servicemembers live do not pose a health hazard."

Summaries of key provisions sponsored by Rep. Cisneros are below:

Reps. Cisneros and Houlahan secure provision to require continuation and expansion of program to support transitioning servicewomen: At the end of May, Congressman Cisneros and Congresswoman Houlahan jointly introduced complementary legislation requiring an extension of an ongoing pilot program run by the US Air Force and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) that educates transitioning servicewomen about women's health care at the VA. The FY 2020 NDAA includes language from these bills requiring DoD to continue and encourage participation in the program to help ensure transitioning servicewomen are aware of the health services available to them, including eligibility for gender-specific services and mental health programs.

Cisneros secures bill language directing DoD to establish a comprehensive policy for mental health care: Congressman Cisneros is highly concerned with the prevalence of mental health concerns amongst veterans and servicemembers alike, including rates of suicide among these populations that are tragically higher than the civilian population. In particular, the Congressman is concerned that DoD is not adequately addressing this serious issue holistically. As such, the Congressman worked to secure language in the bill directing DoD to create a comprehensive policy for mental health care including treatment and care for pain management, opioid addiction, suicide prevention, and PTSD.

Cisneros secures provision directing DoD to brief Congress on how it is translating research into pain management concerns among servicemembers: DoD has conducted significant work to study various pain management techniques to ensure best practices are being utilized to support servicemembers. To ensure these studies are appropriately translated to treat PTSD, pain management, depression, and substance abuse, Congressman Cisneros secured a directive in the FY 2020 NDAA to require DoD to brief Congress on its work to date and how the department is tracking and assessing these programs to ensure efficacy.

Cisneros secures language for Safe Military Housing: Congressman Cisneros found last year's Reuter's report on health and environmental hazards at privatized military housing deeply troubling. We must do better for our servicemembers and their families. As such, the Congressman worked with the Armed Services Committee and Congressional colleagues to secure language in the FY2020 NDAA to protect military families. The language does the following:

creates a tenant's bill of rights;

prohibits the use of non-disclosure agreements in connection with entering into, continuing, or terminating a lease for a housing unit;

requires a report on staffing for oversight management of military housing;

establishes a dispute resolution process for the resolution of disputes between landlords and military tenants related to military housing units; and

establishes an electronic work order system through which a military tenant may request maintenance or repairs of a military housing unit and track the progress of the work.

Cisneros secures passage of amendment phasing out open burn pits: The widespread use of burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan has raised serious concerns over the potential health consequences to servicemembers in close proximity to these toxic pits. To avoid future health risks, DoD must accelerate its work to develop or procure cost effective alternative solutions to safely dispose of waste. To address this issue, Congressman Cisneros worked with Rep. Houlahan to secure language in the FY 2020 NDAA encouraging DoD to accelerate R&D into technology or equipment solutions to eliminate the need for open air burn pits and establish long-term solutions for toxic waste disposal.

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