[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 145 (Thursday, September 27, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12315-S12316]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              JOSHUA OMVIG VETERANS SUICIDE PREVENTION ACT

  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Veterans' 
Affairs Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 327 
and that the Senate then proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 327) 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.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment 
at the desk be considered and agreed to, the bill as amended be read a 
third time, passed, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, and that any statements relating thereto be printed in the 
Record, without further intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 3111) was agreed to, as follows:

              (Purpose: To provide a complete substitute)

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     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) Health Assessments of Veterans.--In carrying out the 
     comprehensive program, the Secretary shall direct that 
     medical staff offer mental health in their overall health 
     assessment when veterans seek medical care at a Department 
     medical facility (including a center established under 
     section 1712A of this title) and make referrals, at the 
     request of the veteran concerned, to appropriate counseling 
     and treatment programs for veterans who show signs or 
     symptoms of mental health problems.
       ``(d) 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.
       ``(e) 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.
       ``(f) 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.
       ``(g) 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.
       ``(h) 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.
       ``(i) 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.
       ``(j) Peer Support Counseling Program.--(1) In carrying out 
     the comprehensive program, the Secretary may 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.
       ``(k) 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 considers appropriate.''.

[[Page S12316]]

       (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 1720F 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.

  The amendment was ordered to be engrossed and the bill to be read a 
third time.
  The bill (H.R. 327), as amended, was read the third time and passed.

                          ____________________