Donnelly, Wicker: "Sexton Act will soon be law'

Statement

U.S. Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) welcomed the Senate passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) today with support from both parties. The national defense bill includes their Jacob Sexton Military Suicide Prevention Act of 2014, which would require an annual mental health assessment for all servicemembers. The bill now heads to President Obama to be signed into law.

Donnelly said, "This is outstanding news: the Jacob Sexton Act will soon be law. After nearly two years of working on this effort with Jacob's parents Jeff and Barb, we will honor the memory of Jacob by positively impacting servicemembers' lives. This common sense change will ensure we are focused not only on our Armed Forces' physical readiness but also mental readiness. We make strides in the effort to reduce the stigma of seeking help--truly, it is a sign of strength. We accomplished this with strong bipartisan support, and I thank my friend, Senator Wicker, for working with me to get this done."

Wicker said, "The "Jacob Sexton Act' will provide our service members with an array of new tools to get the mental health services they need and deserve. We must address this growing problem before it gets any worse. Too many American families will celebrate this holiday season without their loved ones. I am proud to be a part of this effort."

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