§2516 — Title 14 Coast Guard | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary must make sure Coast Guard members who served in the operations listed in section 102 and who are diagnosed with, or who report signs of, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) get a medical exam. Members who were sexually assaulted within the last 5 years and who say they have symptoms of a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder listed in the latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders can request and must be offered an exam. The law stops a member from being separated under other-than-honorable conditions (including separation instead of a court-martial) until the exam results are reviewed by the officials handling the separation. Exams for PTSD or other mental disorders must be done by a board-certified psychiatrist, a licensed doctorate-level psychologist, another licensed/certified clinician chosen by the Commandant, or a psychiatry resident/board-eligible psychologist who finished a 1-year internship and is closely supervised. TBI exams must be done by a physiatrist, psychiatrist, neurosurgeon, or neurologist. The exam must check whether the mental or brain condition should be considered as a factor that affects the reason for, or characterization of, an other-than-honorable administrative separation. These exam rules do not apply to courts-martial or other proceedings under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Any member given a notice of involuntary administrative separation must be told at that time they can ask for the medical exam if they qualify. The Commandant must create a clear notification policy for members who made an unrestricted sexual assault report and give that policy to sexual assault response coordinators so eligible members are informed.

Title 14, §2516

Coast Guard — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The Secretary shall ensure that a member of the Coast Guard who has performed Coast Guard operations described in section 102, and who is diagnosed by an appropriate licensed or certified healthcare professional as experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury or who otherwise alleges, based on the service of the member the signs and symptoms of either such a condition, receives a medical examination to evaluate a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury.

(2)A member of the Coast Guard who has been sexually assaulted during the preceding 5-year period and who alleges, based on such sexual assault, the signs and symptoms of a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder described within the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association—

(A)is provided the opportunity to request a medical examination to clinically evaluate such signs and symptoms; and

(B)receives such a medical examination to evaluate a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder described within the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association.

(3)A member described in this subsection shall not be administratively separated under conditions other than honorable, including an administrative separation in lieu of a court-martial, until the results of the medical examination have been reviewed by appropriate authorities responsible for evaluating, reviewing, and approving the separation case, as determined by the Secretary.

(4)In a case involving post-traumatic stress disorder or a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder under this subsection, a medical examination shall be performed by—

(A)a board-certified psychiatrist;

(B)a licensed doctorate-level psychologist;

(C)any other appropriate licensed or certified healthcare professional designated by the Commandant; or

(D)a psychiatry resident or board-eligible psychologist who—

(i)has completed a 1-year internship or residency; and

(ii)is under the close supervision of a board-certified psychiatrist or licensed doctorate-level psychologist.

(5)In a case involving traumatic brain injury under this subsection, a medical examination shall be performed by a physiatrist, psychiatrist, neurosurgeon, or neurologist.

(b)The medical examination required under subsection (a) shall assess whether the effects of mental or neurocognitive disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury or a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder, constitute matters in extenuation that relate to the basis for administrative separation under conditions other than honorable or the overall characterization of the service of the member as other than honorable.

(c)The medical examination and procedures required by this section do not apply to courts-martial or other proceedings conducted pursuant to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

[(d)Repealed. Pub. L. 119–60, div. G, title LXXII, § 7201(k)(1)(B), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1687.]

(e)(1)Any member of the Coast Guard who receives a notice of involuntary administrative separation shall be advised at the time of such notice of the right of the member to request a medical examination under subsection (a) if any condition described in such subsection applies to the member.

(2)The Commandant shall—

(A)develop and issue a clear policy for carrying out the notification required under paragraph (1) with respect to any member of the Coast Guard described in that paragraph who has made an unrestricted report of sexual assault; and

(B)provide information on such policy to sexual assault response coordinators of the Coast Guard for the purpose of ensuring that such policy is communicated to members of the Coast Guard who may be eligible for a medical examination under this section.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

2025—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7227(1)(A), struck out “or has been sexually assaulted during the preceding 2-year period” after “Coast Guard operations described in section 102” and substituted “the signs and symptoms of either” for “or based on such sexual assault, the influence of”. Pub. L. 119–60, § 7201(k)(1)(A), inserted “described in section 102” after “Coast Guard operations”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7227(1)(C), added par. (2). Former par. (2) redesignated (3). Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7227(1)(B), (D), redesignated par. (2) as (3) and substituted “this subsection” for “paragraph (1)”. Former par. (3) redesignated (4). Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7227(1)(B), (E)(i), (ii), redesignated par. (3) as (4) and inserted “or a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder” before “under this subsection” and “performed by” after “shall be” in introductory provisions. Former par. (4) redesignated (5). Subsec. (a)(4)(A) to (D). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7227(1)(E)(iii), added subpars. (A) to (D) and struck out former subpars. (A) and (B) which read as follows: “(A) performed by—“(i) a board-certified or board-eligible psychiatrist; or “(ii) a licensed doctorate-level psychologist; or “(B) performed under the close supervision of—“(i) a board-certified or board-eligible psychiatrist; or “(ii) a licensed doctorate-level psychologist, a doctorate-level mental health provider, a psychiatry resident, or a clinical or counseling psychologist who has completed a 1-year internship or residency.” Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7227(1)(B), redesignated par. (4) as (5). Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7227(2), inserted “or a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder” after “traumatic brain injury”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7201(k)(1)(B), struck out subsec. (d). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “In this section, the term ‘Coast Guard operations’ has the meaning given that term in section 888(a) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 468(a)).” Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 119–60, § 7227(3), added subsec. (e).

§2516 Members Asserting Post-traumatic Stress Disorder or Traumatic Brain Injury

Summary

Title 14, §2516

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Citations & Metadata