[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 327 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 327


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 22, 2007

    Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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) 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 medical 
facility (including a center established under section 1712A of this 
title) for risk factors for suicide.
    ``(d) Tracking of Veterans.--In carrying out the comprehensive 
program, the Secretary shall provide for appropriate tracking of 
veterans.
    ``(e) 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.
    ``(f) 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.
    ``(g) 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.
    ``(h) 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.
    ``(i) 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.
    ``(j) 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.
    ``(k) 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.
    ``(l) Peer Support Counseling Program.--(1) 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) In carrying out the peer support counseling program under 
this subsection, the Secretary shall provide adequate training for peer 
counselors.
    ``(m) 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.''.
            (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 1720A 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.

            Passed the House of Representatives March 21, 2007.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.