14 U.S.C. § 2516: Members asserting post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury

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. is provided the opportunity to request a medical examination to clinically evaluate such signs and symptoms; and 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. 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. a board-certified psychiatrist; a licensed doctorate-level psychologist; any other appropriate licensed or certified healthcare professional designated by the Commandant; or has completed a 1-year internship or residency; and is under the close supervision of a board-certified psychiatrist or licensed doctorate-level psychologist. In a case involving traumatic brain injury under this subsection, a medical examination shall be performed by a physiatrist, psychiatrist, neurosurgeon, or neurologist. 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. 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. Repealed. Pub. L. 119–60, div. G, title LXXII, § 7201(k)(1)(B) , Dec. 18, 2025 , 139 Stat. 1687 .] 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. 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 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. a board-certified or board-eligible psychiatrist; or a licensed doctorate-level psychologist; or a board-certified or board-eligible psychiatrist; or 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.”