[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 606 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 606

 To improve oversight and evaluation of the mental health and suicide 
   prevention media outreach campaigns of the Department of Veterans 
                    Affairs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 28, 2019

Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Sullivan, Ms. Hirono, and 
  Mr. Brown) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To improve oversight and evaluation of the mental health and suicide 
   prevention media outreach campaigns of the Department of Veterans 
                    Affairs, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Reach Every Veteran in Crisis Act''.

SEC. 2. EVALUATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MENTAL HEALTH 
              AND SUICIDE PREVENTION MEDIA OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS.

    (a) Establishment of Targets.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
        establish targets to evaluate the effectiveness of the mental 
        health and suicide prevention media outreach campaigns of the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs in raising awareness about 
        mental health and suicide prevention.
            (2) Use of metrics.--
                    (A) In general.--The targets established under 
                paragraph (1) shall be based on metrics specific to 
                different media types as follows:
                            (i) Metrics relating to social media shall 
                        include the following:
                                    (I) Impressions.
                                    (II) Reach.
                                    (III) Engagement rate.
                                    (IV) Such other metrics as the 
                                Secretary considers necessary.
                            (ii) Metrics relating to television shall 
                        include the following:
                                    (I) Nielsen ratings.
                                    (II) Such other metrics as the 
                                Secretary considers necessary.
                            (iii) Metrics relating to email shall 
                        include the following:
                                    (I) Open rate.
                                    (II) Response rate.
                                    (III) Click rate.
                                    (IV) Such other metrics as the 
                                Secretary considers necessary.
                    (B) Periodic updates.--The Secretary shall 
                periodically update the metrics under subparagraph (A) 
                as more accurate metrics become available.
            (3) Consultation.--In establishing the targets under 
        paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consult with the following:
                    (A) Relevant stakeholders as determined by the 
                Secretary.
                    (B) Mental health and suicide prevention experts.
                    (C) Such other persons as the Secretary considers 
                appropriate.
    (b) Reports on Outreach Targets and Metrics.--
            (1) Report on targets and metrics.--Not later than 180 days 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
        shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
        Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
        Representatives a report detailing the targets established 
        under subsection (a)(1) to evaluate the effectiveness of the 
        mental health and suicide prevention media outreach campaigns 
        of the Department in raising awareness about mental health and 
        suicide prevention, including the metrics on which such targets 
        are based under subsection (a)(2).
            (2) Annual report.--Not later than one year after the 
        submittal of the report under paragraph (1), and annually 
        thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
        Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' 
        Affairs of the House of Representatives a report detailing--
                    (A) the progress of the Department in meeting the 
                targets established under subsection (a)(1); and
                    (B) a description of any action to be taken by the 
                Department to modify mental health and suicide 
                prevention media outreach campaigns if those targets 
                are not being met.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF OVERSIGHT PROCESS FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION MEDIA 
              OUTREACH CAMPAIGNS.

    (a) Establishment of Oversight Process.--Not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs shall establish a process to oversee the mental health and 
suicide prevention media outreach campaigns of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs.
    (b) Components of Oversight Process.--The process established under 
subsection (a) shall include a delineation of the roles and 
responsibilities of officials in leadership and contract oversight 
positions within the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention of 
the Veterans Health Administration, including during periods of staff 
turnover or program changes.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON EXPENDITURES AND OBLIGATIONS OF FUNDS OF THE OFFICE 
              OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION.

    (a) Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and semiannually thereafter, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report detailing the expenditures of and obligations of 
funds by the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention of the 
Veterans Health Administration during the period covered by the report.
    (b) Appropriate Congressional Committees.--In this section, the 
term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Veterans Affairs and the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

SEC. 5. CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS.

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that each contract 
into which the Secretary enters to develop mental health and suicide 
prevention outreach media includes a requirement that the contractor--
            (1) track metrics used by the Secretary under section 
        2(a)(2); and
            (2) not less frequently than quarterly, report such metrics 
        to the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention of the 
        Veterans Health Administration.
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