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

(a) Medical examination required. (1) The Secretary^* must ensure that a Coast Guard member who performed Coast Guard operations described in section 102 and is diagnosed by an appropriate licensed or certified health professional with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury—or who otherwise alleges, based on that service, signs and symptoms of either condition—gets a medical examination to evaluate that diagnosis. (2) A member sexually assaulted during the previous five years who alleges signs and symptoms of a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder described in the latest edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (this section does not define that quoted title) (A) must be allowed to request an examination to clinically evaluate the signs and symptoms, and (B) must receive an examination to evaluate post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or such a diagnosable disorder. (3) A member covered by this subsection may not be administratively separated under conditions other than honorable, including separation instead of a court-martial, until the appropriate authorities designated by the Secretary to evaluate, review, and approve the separation case have reviewed the examination results. (4) For a case involving post-traumatic stress disorder or a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder, the examination must be performed by (A) a board-certified psychiatrist, (B) a licensed doctorate-level psychologist, (C) another appropriate licensed or certified health professional the Commandant^* designates, or (D) a psychiatry resident or board-eligible psychologist who (i) completed a one-year internship or residency and (ii) works under the close supervision of a board-certified psychiatrist or licensed doctorate-level psychologist. (5) For a traumatic-brain-injury case, the examination must be performed by a physiatrist, psychiatrist, neurosurgeon, or neurologist.

(b) Purpose of medical examination. The examination must assess whether effects of mental or neurocognitive disorders—including post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or a diagnosable mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder—are matters that lessen or explain the reasons for an other-than-honorable administrative separation or the member's overall other-than-honorable service characterization.

(c) Inapplicability to proceedings under Uniform Code of Military Justice. This section's examination and procedures do not apply to courts-martial or other proceedings under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

(d) Repealed. This subsection has been repealed.

(e) Notification of right to request medical examination. (1) When a Coast Guard member receives notice of involuntary administrative separation, the member must be told at that time about the right to request a subsection (a) examination if a listed condition applies. (2) The Commandant must (A) create and issue a clear policy for this notice for a member who made an unrestricted sexual-assault report, and (B) give Coast Guard sexual-assault response coordinators information about the policy so they can communicate it to members who may qualify for an examination.