releases: https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnellys-final-care-package-provision-signed-into-law
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnellys-final-care-package-provision-signed-into-law | Donnelly’s Final “Care Package” Provision Signed Into Law | 2016-12-23 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Democrat | House | IN | Joe Donnelly | D000607 | www.donnelly.senate.gov | legacy | Donnelly’s Final “Care Package” Provision Signed Into Law Marks the Senator’s fourth major military mental health law in four years Friday, December 23, 2016 Granger, Ind. — The final piece of U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly’s “Servicemember and Veteran Mental Health Care Package” (“Care Package”) was signed into law today as part of the bipartisan national defense bill. This marks the fourth military mental health reform effort Donnelly has gotten passed and enacted in his four years in the U.S. Senate. Donnelly, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in part in a video message, “I’m proud to announce that, President Obama has signed into law the third and final piece of my ‘Care Package’ as part of the national defense bill. This legislation allows the military to expand the availability of physician assistants to provide mental health care at home and in the field.” To see Senator Donnelly’s video message about his final “Care Package” provision, click the image above or click here. Donnelly’s bill that became law today as part of the national defense bill is his Frontline Mental Health Provider Training Act. Given the shortage of mental health care providers, Donnelly’s provision allows the Department of Defense (DoD) to establish a pilot program to expand the availability of Physician Assistants (PAs) to provide mental health care evaluations and services for servicemembers and military families. Donnelly has worked effectively and tirelessly over the past four years to find commonsense, bipartisan solutions to combat military suicide and strengthen military mental health care. He has already had three military mental health provisions signed into law: In 2014, Donnelly’s bipartisan Jacob Sexton Military Suicide Prevention Act was signed into law. Named for Hoosier Jacob Sexton, a National Guardsman who took his life in 2009, the law, for the first time, requires an annual mental health assessment for all servicemembers including Active, Guard, and Reserve. In 2015, two provisions from Donnelly’s "Care Package" were signed into law, which aim to help expand access to quality mental health care for servicemembers and veterans through both military providers as well as community providers. These included: A provision that creates a special designation, and an online registry, for private sector, community mental health providers who demonstrate – either through training or past experience – a strong knowledge of military culture and evidence-based therapies for mental health issues common to veterans and servicemembers. A provision that requires all DoD primary care and mental health care providers receive evidence-based training on suicide risk recognition and management. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |