[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 327 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]
H.R.327
One Hundred Tenth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday,
the fourth day of January, two thousand and seven
An Act
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a comprehensive program
designed to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide
Prevention Act''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) suicide among veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress
disorder (in this section referred to as ``PTSD'') is a serious
problem; and
(2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should take into
consideration the special needs of veterans suffering from PTSD and
the special needs of elderly veterans who are at high risk for
depression and experience high rates of suicide in developing and
implementing the comprehensive program under this Act.
SEC. 3. COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION AMONG VETERANS.
(a) In General.--
(1) Comprehensive program for suicide prevention among
veterans.--Chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended
by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1720F. Comprehensive program for suicide prevention among
veterans
``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall develop and carry out a
comprehensive program designed to reduce the incidence of suicide among
veterans incorporating the components described in this section.
``(b) Staff Education.--In carrying out the comprehensive program
under this section, the Secretary shall provide for mandatory training
for appropriate staff and contractors (including all medical personnel)
of the Department who interact with veterans. This training shall cover
information appropriate to the duties being performed by such staff and
contractors. The training shall include information on--
``(1) recognizing risk factors for suicide;
``(2) proper protocols for responding to crisis situations
involving veterans who may be at high risk for suicide; and
``(3) best practices for suicide prevention.
``(c) Health Assessments of Veterans.--In carrying out the
comprehensive program, the Secretary shall direct that medical staff
offer mental health in their overall health assessment when veterans
seek medical care at a Department medical facility (including a center
established under section 1712A of this title) and make referrals, at
the request of the veteran concerned, to appropriate counseling and
treatment programs for veterans who show signs or symptoms of mental
health problems.
``(d) Designation of Suicide Prevention Counselors.--In carrying
out the comprehensive program, the Secretary shall designate a suicide
prevention counselor at each Department medical facility other than
centers established under section 1712A of this title. Each counselor
shall work with local emergency rooms, police departments, mental
health organizations, and veterans service organizations to engage in
outreach to veterans and improve the coordination of mental health care
to veterans.
``(e) Best Practices Research.--In carrying out the comprehensive
program, the Secretary shall provide for research on best practices for
suicide prevention among veterans. Research shall be conducted under
this subsection in consultation with the heads of the following
entities:
``(1) The Department of Health and Human Services.
``(2) The National Institute of Mental Health.
``(3) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
``(4) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
``(f) Sexual Trauma Research.--In carrying out the comprehensive
program, the Secretary shall provide for research on mental health care
for veterans who have experienced sexual trauma while in military
service. The research design shall include consideration of veterans of
a reserve component.
``(g) 24-Hour Mental Health Care.--In carrying out the
comprehensive program, the Secretary shall provide for mental health
care availability to veterans on a 24-hour basis.
``(h) Hotline.--In carrying out the comprehensive program, the
Secretary may provide for a toll-free hotline for veterans to be
staffed by appropriately trained mental health personnel and available
at all times.
``(i) Outreach and Education for Veterans and Families.--In
carrying out the comprehensive program, the Secretary shall provide for
outreach to and education for veterans and the families of veterans,
with special emphasis on providing information to veterans of Operation
Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and the families of such
veterans. Education to promote mental health shall include information
designed to--
``(1) remove the stigma associated with mental illness;
``(2) encourage veterans to seek treatment and assistance for
mental illness;
``(3) promote skills for coping with mental illness; and
``(4) help families of veterans with--
``(A) understanding issues arising from the readjustment of
veterans to civilian life;
``(B) identifying signs and symptoms of mental illness; and
``(C) encouraging veterans to seek assistance for mental
illness.
``(j) Peer Support Counseling Program.--(1) In carrying out the
comprehensive program, the Secretary may establish and carry out a peer
support counseling program, under which veterans shall be permitted to
volunteer as peer counselors--
``(A) to assist other veterans with issues related to mental
health and readjustment; and
``(B) to conduct outreach to veterans and the families of
veterans.
``(2) In carrying out the peer support counseling program under
this subsection, the Secretary shall provide adequate training for peer
counselors.
``(k) Other Components.--In carrying out the comprehensive program,
the Secretary may provide for other actions to reduce the incidence of
suicide among veterans that the Secretary considers appropriate.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning
of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new
item:
``1720F. Comprehensive program for suicide prevention among veterans.''.
(b) Report to Congress.--
(1) Report required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
submit to Congress a report on the comprehensive program under
section 1720F of title 38, United States Code, as added by
subsection (a).
(2) Contents of report.--The report shall contain the
following:
(A) Information on the status of the implementation of such
program.
(B) Information on the time line and costs for complete
implementation of the program within two years.
(C) A plan for additional programs and activities designed
to reduce the occurrence of suicide among veterans.
(D) Recommendations for further legislation or
administrative action that the Secretary considers appropriate
to improve suicide prevention programs within the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.