[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 327 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 327

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a 
comprehensive program designed to reduce the incidence of suicide among 
                               veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 9, 2007

   Mr. Boswell (for himself, Mr. Kind, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. 
 Lipinski, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Engel, Mr. Ross, Mr. Weiner, Ms. Woolsey, 
 Mr. Schiff, Mr. Lincoln Davis of Tennessee, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Brady of 
Pennsylvania, Mr. Gutierrez, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Lantos, Ms. Schwartz, Mr. 
Meeks of New York, Mr. Ortiz, Mr. Neal of Massachusetts, Mr. McGovern, 
    Mr. Rahall, Mr. Spratt, Mr. Boucher, Mr. Honda, Ms. Matsui, Mr. 
McIntyre, Ms. Waters, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Mollohan, Mr. Wexler, Mr. Miller 
    of North Carolina, Mr. Crowley, Ms. McCollum of Minnesota, Ms. 
  Schakowsky, Mr. Moore of Kansas, Mr. Ruppersberger, Mr. Olver, Mr. 
 Costello, Mr. Pomeroy, Mr. Salazar, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Latham, Mr. 
  Michaud, Mrs. Maloney of New York, Mr. Langevin, Mr. Pascrell, Mrs. 
 McCarthy of New York, Mr. Stark, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Moran of Virginia, 
    Mr. King of Iowa, Mr. Berman, Mr. Etheridge, Mr. Loebsack, Mr. 
Marshall, Mr. Filner, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. McDermott, Mr. 
Braley of Iowa, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Ms. Zoe Lofgren 
   of California, Mr. Baird, Mr. Watt, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Taylor, Mr. 
 Chandler, Mr. Berry, Mr. Holden, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Hill, Mr. Boyd of 
Florida, Mr. Cardoza, Mr. Melancon, Ms. Harman, Ms. Bean, Mr. Peterson 
of Minnesota, Mr. Baca, Mr. Costa, Mr. Matheson, Mr. Barrow, Mr. Scott 
   of Georgia, Mr. Shuler, Mr. Wilson of Ohio, Mr. Patrick Murphy of 
 Pennsylvania, Ms. Herseth, Mr. Mahoney of Florida, Mr. Ellsworth, Mr. 
Hayes, and Mr. Wamp) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
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.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (in this Act referred to as the 
``Secretary'') shall develop and carry out a comprehensive program 
designed to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans. The program 
shall incorporate the components described in section 4.

SEC. 4. COMPONENTS OF PROGRAM.

    (a) Staff Education.--In carrying out the comprehensive program 
under section 3, the Secretary shall provide for mandatory training for 
appropriate staff and contractors (including all medical personnel) of 
the Department of Veterans Affairs 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.
    (b) Screening of Veterans Receiving Medical Care.--In carrying out 
the comprehensive program, the Secretary shall provide for screening of 
veterans who receive medical care at a Department of Veterans Affairs 
medical facility (including a center established under section 1712A of 
title 38, United States Code) for risk factors for suicide.
    (c) Tracking of Veterans.--In carrying out the comprehensive 
program, the Secretary shall provide for appropriate tracking of 
veterans.
    (d) Counseling and Treatment of Veterans.--In carrying out the 
comprehensive program, the Secretary shall provide for referral of 
veterans at risk for suicide for appropriate counseling and treatment.
    (e) Designation of Suicide Prevention Counselors.--In carrying out 
the comprehensive program, the Secretary shall designate a suicide 
prevention counselor at each Department of Veterans Affairs medical 
facility other than centers established under section 1712A of title 
38, United States Code. 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.
    (f) 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.
    (g) 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.
    (h) 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.
    (i) 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.
    (j) 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.
    (k) Peer Support Counseling Program.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out the comprehensive program, 
        the Secretary shall 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) Training for volunteers.--In carrying out the peer 
        support counseling program under this subsection, the Secretary 
        shall provide adequate training for peer counselors.
    (l) 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 deems appropriate.

SEC. 5. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    (a) Report Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress.
    (b) Contents of Report.--The report shall contain the following:
            (1) Information on the status of the implementation of the 
        program developed pursuant to section 3.
            (2) Information on the time line and costs for complete 
        implementation of the program within two years.
            (3) A plan for additional programs and activities designed 
        to reduce the occurrence of suicide among veterans.
            (4) Recommendations for further legislation or 
        administrative action that the Secretary considers appropriate 
        to improve suicide prevention programs within the Department of 
        Veterans Affairs.
                                 <all>