[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 164 (Tuesday, September 22, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5749-S5750]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   COMMANDER JOHN SCOTT HANNON VETERANS MENTAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENT ACT

  Mr. MORAN. Madam President, I am pleased to share with my colleagues 
in the Senate that we have reached an agreement with the House to pass 
S. 785, the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health 
Improvement Act, and we expect the bill to pass the House of 
Representatives tomorrow.
  This is a bill that passed--our most significant piece of 
legislation--from the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs dealing 
with mental health and suicide prevention. The bill came out

[[Page S5750]]

of the committee unanimously and was approved by the Senate 
unanimously, and we have been negotiating with Chairman Takano and 
Ranking Member Roe of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs for its 
passage by the House and with consideration by the Senate of other 
bills that the House has and will send us.
  I want to thank my colleague Senator Tester, the ranking member of 
our committee, Chairman Takano, and Dr. Roe, the ranking member of the 
House committee, for working expeditiously with me to reach an 
agreement to pass this comprehensive mental health and suicide 
prevention bill for America's veterans.
  One veteran lost due to suicide is one too many, and it is a national 
tragedy that we continue to lose 20 veterans each day to suicide.
  I am glad that Congress has come together to do our part to ensure 
this bill which will save lives. It needs to be passed without delay 
and signed into law.
  This bill will establish a grant program and require the VA to better 
collaborate with community organizations across the country already 
serving veterans. This provision was specifically championed by my 
colleague Senator Boozman of Arkansas.
  In addition, this legislation directs the VA to embark on 
groundbreaking research in the form of a precision medicine initiative 
that will improve how mental health conditions are diagnosed and 
treated, expand VA telehealth capabilities to better serve rural and 
Tribal veterans, bolster and expedite Federal research capabilities, 
increase accountability over the Department's mental health and suicide 
prevention programs, and make necessary improvements to the VA mental 
health workforce.
  While this legislation puts in place the critical care, services, and 
support that will save veterans' lives, it is my hope that the bill 
will also serve as a signal to our veterans, servicemembers, and their 
families that they are never, never alone.
  I want to extend my gratitude to the President for his support of 
this bill, and I ask him to sign this legislation as soon as it arrives 
on his desk.

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