[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 181 (Tuesday, November 7, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H8563-H8566]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VETERANS CRISIS LINE STUDY ACT OF 2017
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill
[[Page H8564]]
(H.R. 4173) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a
study on the Veterans Crisis Line, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4173
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 ``Veterans Crisis Line Study
Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. STUDY ON EFFICACY OF VETERANS CRISIS LINE.
(a) Study.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct
a study on the outcomes and the efficacy of the Veterans
Crisis Line during the five-year period beginning January 1,
2014, based on an analysis of national suicide data and data
collected from the Veterans Crisis Line.
(b) Matters Included.--The study under subsection (a) shall
address the following:
(1) The efficacy of the Veterans Crisis Line in leading
veterans to sustained mental health regimens, by
determining--
(A) the number of veterans who, after contacting the
Veterans Crisis Line and being referred to a suicide
prevention specialist, begin and continue mental health care
furnished by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and
(B) the number of veterans who, after contacting the
Veterans Crisis Line and being referred to a suicide
prevention specialist, either--
(i) begin mental health care furnished by the Secretary but
do not continue such care; or
(ii) do not begin such care.
(2) The visibility of the Veterans Crisis Line, by
determining--
(A) the number of veterans who contact the Veterans Crisis
Line and have not previously received hospital care or
medical services furnished by the Secretary; and
(B) the number of veterans who contact the Veterans Crisis
Line and have previously received hospital care or medical
services furnished by the Secretary.
(3) The role of the Veterans Crisis Line as part of the
mental health care services of the Department, by
determining, of the veterans who are enrolled in the health
care system established under section 1705(a) of title 38,
United States Code, who contact the Veterans Crisis Line, the
number who are under the care of a mental health care
provider of the Department at the time of such contact.
(4) Whether receiving sustained mental health care affects
suicidality and whether veterans previously receiving mental
health care furnished by the Secretary use the Veterans
Crisis Line in times of crisis, with respect to the veterans
described in paragraph (3), by determining the time frame
between receiving such care and the time of such contact.
(5) The effectiveness of the Veterans Crisis Line in
assisting veterans at risk for suicide when the Veterans
Crisis Line is contacted by a non-veteran, by determining, of
the number of non-veterans who contact the Veterans Crisis
Line looking for support in assisting a veteran, how many of
such individuals receive support in having a veteran begin to
receive mental health care furnished by the Secretary.
(6) The overall efficacy of the Veterans Crisis Line in
preventing suicides and whether the number of contacts
affects the efficacy, by determining--
(A) the number of veterans who contact the Veterans Crisis
Line who ultimately commit or attempt suicide; and
(B) of such veterans, how many times did a veteran contact
the Veterans Crisis Line prior to committing or attempting
suicide.
(7) The long-term efficacy of the Veterans Crisis Line in
preventing repeated suicide attempts and whether the efficacy
is temporary, by determining, of the number of veterans who
contacted the Veterans Crisis Line and did not commit or
attempt suicide during the following six-month period, the
number who contacted the Veterans Crisis Line in crisis at a
later time and thereafter did commit or attempt suicide.
(8) Whether referral to mental health care affects the risk
of suicide, by determining--
(A) the number of veterans who contact the Veterans Crisis
Line who are not referred to, or do not continue receiving,
mental health care who commit suicide; and
(B) the number of veterans described in paragraph (1)(A)
who commit or attempt suicide.
(9) The efficacy of the Veterans Crisis Line to promote
continued mental health care in those veterans who are at
high risk for suicide whose suicide was prevented, by
determining, of the number of veterans who contacted the
Veterans Crisis Line and did not commit or attempt suicide
soon thereafter, the number that begin and continue to
receive mental health care furnished by the Secretary.
(10) Such other matters as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(c) Rule of Construction Regarding Data Collection.--
Nothing in this section may be construed to modify or affect
the manner in which data is collected, or the kind or content
of data collected, by the Secretary under the Veterans Crisis
Line.
(d) Submission.--Not later than May 31, 2019, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
House of Representatives and the Senate the study under
subsection (a).
(e) Veterans Crisis Line Defined.--In this section, the
term ``Veterans Crisis Line'' means the toll-free hotline for
veterans established under section 1720F(h) of title 38,
United States Code.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
General Leave
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 4173, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4173, as amended, the
Veterans Crisis Line Study Act of 2017, offered by my friend and
committee member, Representative Jim Banks of Indiana.
Mr. Speaker, the Veterans Crisis Line, or VCL, was established in
2007 as a partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs, the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the
National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
According to the Government Accountability Office, as of May 2016,
the Veterans Crisis Line has answered over 2.3 million calls, over
55,000 texts, and dispatched emergency services over 61,000 times. As
these statistics show, the Veterans Crisis Line is an incredibly
valuable resource for veterans. However, while the VA tracks and
evaluates statistics such as these for quality and access metrics, it
does not currently process them through any meaningful form of data
analytics as it relates to the effectiveness of the program.
So, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4173, as amended, the Veterans Crisis Line
Study Act of 2017, would direct the Secretary to evaluate the efficacy
of the VCL with respect to continuity of VA mental health services
using the same anonymous data points as are currently collected by the
VCL. Research and data analysis of these anonymous data points would
utilize the growing national availability of statistics regarding
suicides to better evaluate the impact of the VCL and potentially
highlight opportunities for outcome improvements.
Mr. Speaker, I believe that evaluating the VCL effectively requires a
focus on the full continuum of mental health services provided by VA
once a veteran first contacts the VCL or establishes a need for mental
health services.
Again, it is important to note that, under this legislation, the
privacy of the caller is to be honored, and the VCL is directed to
continue collecting data points in exactly the same manner as they
currently are.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this great bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise in support of H.R. 4173. I would like to
thank the gentleman, Mr. Banks of Indiana, for his work on this. This
is a piece of legislation very near and dear to my heart.
One of the first pieces of legislation I worked on when I got to this
House in 2007 was the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act,
which was dealing with the loss of a young warrior from Iowa. One of
the pieces of legislation that came out of that was the Veterans Crisis
Line, with the idea that we needed that.
That was a good piece of legislation, but as time has gone by, Mr.
Banks has pointed out ways to improve that. I am in full support. I am
grateful for the thought that he has put into this. I am grateful for
the gentleman from Florida's recognition that we may never know with
absolute certainty how many lives we save, but I think each of us know
that this has been an invaluable service. It is one we should continue
and try to make better.
Mr. Speaker, I am in full support, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Banks), who is the main sponsor of this particular bill, a
great bill that has saved lives.
I also appreciate Representative Walz for sponsoring the bill. I
remember when he did it. We came in together.
Mr. BANKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, let me first thank the gentleman
from Florida for his continued efforts to support our veterans. As a
proud member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, it is great to
work on such a bipartisan committee with Ranking Member Walz and other
members who care deeply about our American veterans.
Mr. Speaker, sadly, every single day 20 veterans take their own
lives. In 1 year, the total is nearly as many people who live in my
hometown of Columbia City, Indiana.
Veterans account for 18 percent of suicides, even though they are
only 8\1/2\ percent of the total population. Our female veterans are
2\1/2\ times more likely to commit suicide than civilian women.
We can't allow this to continue. Just one veteran suicide a day is a
horrible tragedy, let alone 20. Our veterans were vigilant in fighting
for our freedoms. We must be just as vigilant in fighting for their
needs. Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today seeks to enable the VA's
Veterans Crisis Line, or VCL, to be even more effective in this fight.
As has already been mentioned, since 2007, it has fielded nearly 2.8
million calls and 67,000 text messages. But there is no overarching
approach to ensure the VA knows the effectiveness of the VCL in
preventing future suicide attempts after the initial phone call or how
well the crisis line connects veterans to the mental healthcare
services of the VA. That is why, with this bill, we can harness the
power of data analytics to improve the functionality of the VCL and the
VA's mental healthcare services.
The VCL is a critical tool, and we must do everything we can to help
it play as large a role as possible. We must ensure that our veterans
who seek care can access it so that they can find a long-term solution
to their difficulties. Mr. Speaker, we must ensure our veterans know
they are not alone after the phone call.
I have spoken with veterans service organizations throughout this
bill's progress. I thank them for their feedback and for looking out
for our veterans.
I would like to thank Congressman Moulton, who was my lead on the
other side of the aisle, for his work as a partner on this bill, as
well, and for his dedication to our veteran population.
I would also like to thank the entire Indiana delegation from both
sides of the aisle for cosponsoring this bill and showing the Hoosier
State's strong commitment to preventing veteran suicide.
I ask my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 4173.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Colorado (Mr. Coffman).
Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, last year, the VA's suicide data report
revealed that an average of 20 veterans a day committed suicide. A year
later, our Nation is still faced with this epidemic.
While the VA is seeing high rates in calls to the Veterans Crisis
Line, there is no overarching approach to ensure the VA is effectively
preventing future suicide attempts and integrating the hotline
information into VA's mental healthcare services.
H.R. 4173, the Veterans Crisis Line Study Act, would address that
critical gap in oversight. This bill would require the VA to study the
outcomes of the VA's Veterans Crisis Line while protecting the privacy
and anonymity of the veteran callers.
As a proud cosponsor of H.R. 4173, I believe it is critical that
Congress ensures this emergency resource for our veterans struggling
with PTSD or other mental health conditions is working as it should.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the passage of H.R.
4173.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Iowa (Mr. Young).
Mr. YOUNG of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Florida,
and I also thank my colleague from Minnesota, as well, who has a
history on this important issue, the genesis going back to 2007, like
my friend from Minnesota said, with a predecessor of mine, former
Congressman Leonard Boswell, who misses this institution and gave great
service. I know he sends his best.
I thank my colleague, Mr. Banks of Indiana, for making sure that we
are always continuing with oversight of these important programs to
help our veterans.
In 2015, the VA did an OIG report and found out that there were some
failures in the Veterans Crisis Line; there were informational
failures. Sometimes people answering the phone at the VA, who are good
people and want to help our veterans, didn't have all the information
they may need. There was a lack of timely responsiveness at some
points.
The VA Committee here in the House did some oversight and found out
that we needed to make sure that we fixed this. So I introduced a
bipartisan bill with my colleagues that passed unanimously in 2016, the
No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act, to work with the
Veterans Affairs Department to make sure that we knew what they needed
to get the job done, working in partnership across the aisle and with
the VA. The bill passed unanimously. President Obama signed it into
law.
But we know that, with a stroke of a pen, it doesn't just fix things.
You have to have constant oversight and demand transparency and
accountability.
I went down to one of the Veterans Crisis Line centers in Atlanta and
visited with those who ran it and those responders who picked up the
phone every day to talk to our veterans to see how things were going.
{time} 1630
Great improvements, great challenges still, but they are making
headway, and it is with a partnership where we can make sure that this
works.
Oversight, transparency, accountability is what this is about, but
most importantly, this is about keeping our promise to our veterans,
those who have donned the uniform to protect our rights, the rights of
our family members, and our loved ones who keep this great Republic
going.
So I want to thank my friend from Florida, my good friend from
Minnesota, and Mr. Banks from Indiana. I am glad to support this
legislation, and I urge others to as well.
Mr. WALZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, over the last 2 days, we have passed 14 bills out of
this committee, the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, affecting
everything from suicide and suicide prevention to transplant, to the
delivery of GI bills, to the streamlining of the bureaucracy inside the
agency, all with a bipartisan effort on what can we do as a nation to
best deliver on our promise of the earned benefits that we so deeply
owe to those who served us. It is appropriate that we are doing it the
week of Veterans Day.
But I want to remind people, this is what is possible, Mr. Speaker.
This summer, the New York Times wrote a story, and it said, if you
really want to know how Congress is supposed to function, look at the
VA Committee. They were pointing out, these are not easy things.
People, Mr. Speaker, may think, well, everybody supports veterans,
but it is hard to get policy right. It is hard to find funding. It is
hard to agree on the best way to deliver it. But I would have to say,
the last 2 days are proof positive of it. We can do it. We must do it.
We are obligated to do it.
When people think of Veterans Day, ways that you can observe Veterans
Day, I am always of the belief that the best way to honor veterans is
to attempt to live our life in a manner that reflects the dignity and
the sacrifice that they gave in their service.
As we sat here today, it may be easy to take it for granted. The
public gets frustrated over what happens or what doesn't happen here.
The idea that there are billions of human beings on this planet who
don't get the chance to self-govern, who don't get the chance to openly
and freely debate, to try and
[[Page H8566]]
craft a society we want to live in, and we do it here because of the
sacrifice that was given to keep this Nation free.
So the work we do here--and it is often said, you shouldn't get a pat
on the back for doing what you are supposed to do. That is not what
this is about. This is about a recognition that this Nation cares
deeply about the daughters and sons who will serve us. This Nation
expects the Congress to make sure that they are cared for in a manner
that reflects their sacrifice, and they want us to do it in a
bipartisan manner that celebrates the idea of self-governance.
So with that, I would say, Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support this
piece of legislation as the final piece of this package. I am proud of
the work and to call my friend from Florida a dear friend, someone who
I know that, between you and your father, has given decades of service
to our Nation's veterans.
There are reasons to be optimistic. There are reasons to believe that
we can get through this. There is reason to believe that, come Veterans
Day, our better days lie ahead of us.
Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 4173, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I support this great bill. And see how we
are doing this? This was set up, the crisis line was set up a few years
ago. We are improving upon that, and hopefully we are going to save
lives.
Again, I appreciate--I am really proud to serve on this committee. I
have served on the committee. We have served on it together. We came in
together, and we made our veterans, our true heroes, a priority.
I appreciate you, sir. You take the politics out of it. Chairman Roe
takes the politics out of it. I like to think I do, too, and all the
members of the committee do, and we put our veterans first. This is a
moral committee, as you said. It is a moral committee.
I hope the children are watching this right now because, you know,
there is a lot of gridlock in Washington, but we work together. They
are not high-profile bills, but they are very important bills to our
heroes. So, again, I am very proud to manage these bills today.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 4173, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________