President Biden Signs Rep. Neguse’s Bill to Expand Mental Health Care for Colorado’s Military Families Into Law

Lafayette, CO — Last week, President Joe Biden signed Congressman Joe Neguse’s Mental Health for Military Families Act into law. The bipartisan bill, which expands access to counseling and mental health services for Colorado’s military families, was enacted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24). The proposal was championed by Senator John Ossof in the United States Senate. 

“Today, through the enactment of the Mental Health for Military Families Act, we are doing our part to care for our nation’s service members and their spouses and children. These individuals sacrifice so much to defend our country, and by expanding access to critical mental health services we are making sure they have the support they need,” said Congressman Neguse. 

“Our bipartisan bill, which is now law, will expand free access to counseling and mental health services for servicemembers and their families who make great sacrifices for our nation, endure great stress in so doing, and deserve nothing less than the care they need — when they need it,” Sen. Ossoff said.

Specifically, the Mental Health for Military Families Act allows the Secretary of Defense to waive out-of-pocket expenses for military families on TRICARE for their first three outpatient mental health visits per year, lowering costs and helping families access the treatment they need.

“The Mental Health for Military Families Act allows family members of active-duty military personnel to access mental health services without restrictions for their first three visits, using their TriCare benefits. It acknowledges the sacrifices made by military families and aims to reduce the burden on them by facilitating access to mental health care. By providing avenues of care for family members, the act recognizes the challenges they face and supports their well-being. Overall, the VFW sees this as a positive step in ensuring that military families have the support they need and deserve, particularly regarding mental health services,” said Steve Kjonaas, Legislative Director of the Colorado Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.

Congressman Neguse has been a strong advocate for veterans and service members. In May, he introduced a bipartisan legislative package to ensure that veterans can access the services and resources they deserve. Earlier this year, Congressman Neguse introduced the Veterans Jobs Training Act to increase funding for the highly successful Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP), which works to expand job training and placement services for our nation’s veterans. In that same vein, as part of the 2023 government funding bill, Rep. Neguse secured $650,000 for the Veterans Community Project Transitional Housing in Longmont, Colorado. This project supports the construction of tiny homes for unhoused veterans in Colorado's Second Congressional District. 

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