[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 479 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 479

           To reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 1, 2007

Mr. Harkin (for himself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Rockefeller, Ms. Snowe, Mr. 
Durbin, Mr. Smith, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Thune, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Brownback, 
 and Mr. Schumer) introduced the following bill; which was read twice 
           and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
           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 (PTSD) is a serious problem; and
            (2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should take into 
        consideration the special needs of veterans suffering from 
        post-traumatic stress disorder in developing and implementing 
        the comprehensive program required by section 3(a).

SEC. 3. COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION AMONG VETERANS.

    (a) Program Required.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
develop and implement a comprehensive program for reducing the 
incidence of suicide among veterans.
    (b) Program Elements.--
            (1) De-stigmatizing mental health.--The program required by 
        subsection (a) shall include a national mental health campaign 
        to increase awareness in the veteran community that mental 
        health is essential to overall health and that very effective 
        modern treatments can promote recovery from mental illness. The 
        campaign may include the following:
                    (A) Activities targeted at veterans of Operation 
                Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and the 
                families of such veterans.
                    (B) Monthly messages on the Internet website of the 
                Department of Veterans Affairs that express the theme 
                that mental health is essential to overall health.
                    (C) Inclusion of the theme described in 
                subparagraph (B) in public addresses, speeches, and 
                veterans service organization convention addresses by 
                the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and other senior 
                officials of the Department.
            (2) Training of employees and other personnel.--The program 
        shall provide for mandatory training on suicide and suicide 
        prevention for appropriate employees and contractor personnel 
        (including all medical personnel) of the Department of Veterans 
        Affairs who interact with veterans. Such training shall include 
        information pertinent to the job of such employees and 
        personnel, including information on the following:
                    (A) Recognition of risk factors for suicide.
                    (B) Protocols for responding to crisis situations 
                involving veterans who may be at high risk for suicide.
                    (C) Best practices for suicide prevention.
            (3) Family education and outreach.--The program shall 
        include programs of outreach to, and education for, veterans 
        and families of veterans (including, in particular, veterans of 
        Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and the 
        families of such veterans) in order to assist the family 
        members of veterans in--
                    (A) eliminating or overcoming stigmas associated 
                with mental illness;
                    (B) understanding issues that arise in the 
                readjustment of veterans to civilian life;
                    (C) identifying signs and symptoms of mental health 
                problems; and
                    (D) encouraging veterans to seek assistance for 
                such problems.
            (4) Peer support program.--
                    (A) In general.--The program shall provide support 
                for the development of a program to enable veterans to 
                serve as peer counselors to--
                            (i) assist other veterans with mental 
                        health issues; and
                            (ii) conduct outreach to veterans and 
                        families of veterans on mental health matters.
                    (B) Training.--The program supported by 
                subparagraph (A) shall include appropriate training for 
                peer counselors under the program, including training 
                in the identification of risk factors for suicide.
                    (C) Peer support counseling as supplemental 
                service.--The program supported by subparagraph (A) 
                shall be offered in addition to other mental health 
                services already offered by the Department and services 
                created pursuant to this Act.
            (5) Health assessments of veterans.--The program shall 
        encourage all veterans, when they apply for benefits provided 
        by the Department, to undergo a mental health assessment at a 
        Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility (including a 
        center established under section 1712A of title 38, United 
        States Code).
            (6) Counseling and treatment of veterans.--The program 
        shall provide for referrals to appropriate counseling and 
        treatment programs for veterans who show signs or symptoms of 
        mental health problems.
            (7) Suicide prevention counselors.--The program shall 
        provide for the designation of 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, law enforcement agencies, local mental health 
        organizations, and veterans service organizations to engage in 
        outreach to veterans to inform them of mental health services 
        that are available to them and to improve the coordination of 
        mental health care to veterans at the local level.
            (8) Research on best practices.--
                    (A) In general.--The program shall provide for 
                research on best practices for suicide prevention among 
                veterans.
                    (B) Steering committee.--The Secretary of Veterans 
                Affairs shall develop a steering committee to advise 
                the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on the research 
                described in subparagraph (A). Such steering committee 
                shall be comprised of representatives from the 
                following:
                            (i) National Institute of Mental Health.
                            (ii) Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
                        Services Administration.
                            (iii) Centers for Disease Control and 
                        Prevention.
            (9) Substance abuse treatment.--The program shall provide 
        for referrals to appropriate counseling and treatment programs 
        of veterans who show signs or symptoms of substance abuse.
            (10) 24-hour mental health care.--The program shall include 
        mechanisms to ensure the availability of services for mental 
        health care for veterans on a 24-hour basis.
            (11) Telephone hotline.--The program may include a toll-
        free telephone number (commonly referred to as an ``800 
        number'') through which veterans may obtain information on and 
        referrals to appropriate mental health services. The telephone 
        number shall be serviced by personnel with appropriate mental 
        health training, and shall be operational at all times.
            (12) Other elements.--The program may provide for such 
        other activities and programs to reduce the incidence of 
        suicide among veterans as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
        considers appropriate.

SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAMS AND 
              ACTIVITIES.

    (a) 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 programs and activities of the Department 
of Veterans Affairs to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans.
    (b) Elements.--The report shall include the following:
            (1) A description of the status of the implementation of 
        the program required by section 3(a).
            (2) A description of the scheduled implementation of the 
        program during the two-year period beginning on the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, including the costs of implementation of 
        the program over that period.
            (3) A plan for additional programs and activities to reduce 
        the incidence of suicide among veterans.
            (4) Such recommendations for additional legislative or 
        administrative action as the Secretary considers appropriate to 
        improve and enhance the suicide prevention programs and 
        activities of the Department.
    (c) Consultation.--In developing the plan required by subsection 
(b)(3), the Secretary shall consult with the following:
            (1) The National Institute of Mental Health.
            (2) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
        Administration.
            (3) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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