[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2836 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2836

To amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to 
    improve and expand suicide prevention and community healing and 
    response training under the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 11, 2009

 Mr. Hodes (for himself and Ms. Shea-Porter) introduced the following 
      bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 to 
    improve and expand suicide prevention and community healing and 
    response training under the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program.

    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 National Guard and Reservist Suicide 
Prevention and Community Response Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF SUICIDE PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY HEALING AND 
              RESPONSE TRAINING UNDER THE YELLOW RIBBON REINTEGRATION 
              PROGRAM.

    Section 582 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181; 122 Stat. 122) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (h)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (3); and
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (15) as 
                paragraphs (3) through (14), respectively; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(i) Suicide Prevention and Community Healing and Response 
Program.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--As part of the Yellow Ribbon 
        Reintegration Program, the Office for Reintegration Programs 
        shall establish a program to provide National Guard and Reserve 
        members, their families, and their communities with training in 
        suicide prevention and community healing and response to 
        suicide.
            ``(2) Design.--In establishing the program under paragraph 
        (1), the Office for Reintegration Programs shall--
                    ``(A) consult with--
                            ``(i) officials associated with the 
                        `Connect' program of the National Alliance on 
                        Mental Illness New Hampshire; and
                            ``(ii) the adjutant general of each state, 
                        the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District 
                        of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands; and
                    ``(B) model the program after the `Connect' program 
                of the National Alliance on Mental Illness New 
                Hampshire.
            ``(3) Operation.--
                    ``(A) Suicide prevention training.--The Office for 
                Reintegration Programs shall provide National Guard and 
                Reserve members with training in suicide prevention. 
                Such training shall include--
                            ``(i) describing the warning signs for 
                        suicide and teaching effective strategies for 
                        prevention and intervention;
                            ``(ii) examining the influence of military 
                        culture on risk and protective factors for 
                        suicide; and
                            ``(iii) engaging in interactive case 
                        scenarios and role plays to practice effective 
                        intervention strategies.
                    ``(B) Community healing and response training.--The 
                Office for Reintegration Programs shall provide the 
                families and communities of National Guard and Reserve 
                members with training in responses to suicide that 
                promote individual and community healing. Such training 
                shall include--
                            ``(i) enhancing collaboration among 
                        community members and local service providers 
                        to create an integrated, coordinated community 
                        response to suicide;
                            ``(ii) communicating best practices for 
                        preventing suicide, including safe messaging, 
                        appropriate memorial services, and media 
                        guidelines;
                            ``(iii) addressing the impact of suicide on 
                        the military and the larger community, and the 
                        increased risk that can result; and
                            ``(iv) managing resources to assist key 
                        community and military service providers in 
                        helping the families, friends, and fellow 
                        soldiers of a suicide victim through the 
                        processes of grieving and healing.
                    ``(C) Collaboration with centers of excellence.--
                The Office for Reintegration Programs, in consultation 
                with the Defense Centers of Excellence for 
                Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, shall 
                collect and analyze `lessons learned' and suggestions 
                from State National Guard and Reserve organizations 
                with existing or developing suicide prevention and 
                community response programs.
            ``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection 
        $15,000,000 for each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 
        2010.''.
                                 <all>