Armed Forces Mental Health Professionals Recruitment and Retention Enhancement Act of 2008

A bill to amend title 37, United States Code, to expand certain bonus and special pay authorities for members of the Armed Forces in order to enhance the recruitment and retention of psychologists, social workers, mental health nurses, and other mental health professionals in the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.

3/13/2008--Introduced.
Armed Forces Mental Health Professionals Recruitment and Retention Enhancement Act of 2008 - Amends federal military pay provisions to provide:
(1) a bonus of up to $25,000 per year for officers who agree to remain on active duty as clinical psychologists;
(2) an accession bonus of up to $400,000 to clinical psychologists with a critically short wartime specialty who agree to accept a commission and remain on active duty for at least four years; and
(3) special pay for officers serving as clinical psychologists for at least one year. Provides:
(1) an accession bonus of up to $30,000 for social workers in critically short wartime specialties agreeing to serve as officers on active duty for at least three years; and
(2) special pay for officers serving as social workers for at least one year. Provides special pay for officers serving as mental health nurses for at least one year. Includes psychiatrists, social workers, and mental health nurses under Department of Defense (DOD) authority to provide retention incentives for members of the Armed Forces qualified in critical military skills or assigned to high priority units. Includes psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, social workers, mental health nurses, and other behavioral health professionals as eligible health professions under the DOD health professions scholarship and financial assistance program. Authorizes the Secretary of each military department to use the authorities in this Act to facilitate the recruitment and retention in the reserve components of psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, social workers, and mental health nurses.

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Sponsor

• Sen. Joseph Lieberman [I, CT]
• and 2 Co-Sponsors
  • Sen. B. Evan Bayh [D, IN]
  • Sen. Barbara Boxer [D, CA]
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Committees

• Senate Armed Services

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to S.2778

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by Senate		Voted on by House		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
March 13, 2008

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All Bill Actions

• Mar 13, 2008: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
• Introduced on Mar 13, 2008.

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Related Issue Areas:

• Social work
• Social services
• Scholarships
• Recruiting and enlistment
• 15 more
• Psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Officer personnel
• Nurses
• Military pay
• Military medicine
• Mental health services
• Medicine
• Medical education
• Medical care
• Higher education
• Education
• Armed forces reserves
• Armed forces
• Defense policy

Data from the Congressional Research Service

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August 07, 2008 Mass. Coastal-Coverage Bill Fails to Pass at End of Session - Zib...

... taking final action on a bill that would have limited replacement coverage for hurricane-damaged homes insured by the state's FAIR coastal plan. The provision of S. 2778 which would have ended the windstorm guarantee offered by the.

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