The bill amends the Michigan Military Act by adding a new section, Sec. 322, which mandates the Department of Health and Human Services to collaborate with the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency to enhance support for service members, veterans, and their families regarding mental health and substance use disorders. The department is tasked with conducting statewide outreach to raise awareness of available resources, developing materials to help families recognize mental health changes in service members, and collecting relevant information as outlined in the Protecting Veterans Mental Health Act.

Additionally, the bill establishes a program to assist families in navigating mental health and substance use issues, and allows the agency to utilize electronic or mobile platforms to connect individuals with available services. Importantly, any documents containing personal information about service members or veterans created in the course of these activities are exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. The enactment of this bill is contingent upon the passage of House Bill No. 5270.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 32.501, 32.851