With Honor and the For Country Caucus have prioritized pragmatic bipartisan legislation to fight our nation’s mental health crisis, particularly as it affects military service personnel, veterans, and their families.
The Brandon Act, which President Biden signed in December 2021 as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, is named for Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Caserta, who died by suicide after unsuccessfully reaching out for help. Championed by Rep. and For Country Caucus Member Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Rep. and Vice-Chair Mariannette Miller-Meeks, (R-IA) and Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), a Navy veteran, it enables servicemembers to seek mental health treatment and requires a mental health evaluation as soon as they do so. It also enables Americans in uniform to seek help confidentially and, if necessary, outside the chain of command. As of May 2023, the U.S. military had fully implemented the Brandon Act across its services.
Watch our Brandon Act video below: