[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 177 (Thursday, October 7, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S6993]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            BUDDY CHECK WEEK

  Mr. LUJAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration 
of S. 544 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 544) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     to designate one week each year as ``Buddy Check Week'' for 
     the purpose of outreach and education concerning peer 
     wellness checks for veterans, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. LUJAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 544) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed as follows:

                                 S. 544

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF BUDDY CHECK WEEK BY SECRETARY OF 
                   VETERANS AFFAIRS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     designate one week each year to organize outreach events and 
     educate veterans on how to conduct peer wellness checks, 
     which shall be known as ``Buddy Check Week''.
       (b) Educational Opportunities.--
       (1) In general.--During Buddy Check Week, the Secretary, in 
     consultation with organizations that represent veterans, 
     nonprofits that serve veterans, mental health experts, 
     members of the Armed Forces, and such other entities and 
     individuals as the Secretary considers appropriate, shall 
     collaborate with organizations that represent veterans to 
     provide educational opportunities for veterans to learn how 
     to conduct peer wellness checks.
       (2) Training matters.--As part of the educational 
     opportunities provided under paragraph (1), the Secretary 
     shall provide the following:
       (A) A script for veterans to use to conduct peer wellness 
     checks that includes information on appropriate referrals to 
     resources veterans might need.
       (B) Online and in-person training, as appropriate, on how 
     to conduct a peer wellness check.
       (C) Opportunities for members of organizations that 
     represent veterans to learn how to train individuals to 
     conduct peer wellness checks.
       (D) Training for veterans participating in Buddy Check Week 
     on how to transfer a phone call directly to the Veterans 
     Crisis Line.
       (E) Resiliency training for veterans participating in Buddy 
     Check Week on handling a veteran in crisis.
       (3) Online materials.--All training materials provided 
     under the educational opportunities under paragraph (1) shall 
     be made publicly available on a website of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs.
       (c) Outreach.--The Secretary, in collaboration with 
     organizations that represent veterans, may conduct outreach 
     regarding educational opportunities under subsection (b) at--
       (1) public events where many veterans are expected to 
     congregate;
       (2) meetings of organizations that represent veterans;
       (3) facilities of the Department; and
       (4) such other locations as the Secretary, in collaboration 
     with organizations that represent veterans, considers 
     appropriate.
       (d) Veterans Crisis Line Plan.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall ensure that a plan 
     exists for handling the potential increase in the number of 
     calls into the Veterans Crisis Line that may occur during 
     Buddy Check Week.
       (2) Submittal of plan.--The head of the Veterans Crisis 
     Line shall submit to the Secretary a plan for how to handle 
     excess calls during Buddy Check Week, which may include the 
     following:
       (A) Additional hours for staff.
       (B) The use of a backup call center.
       (C) Any other plan to ensure that calls from veterans in 
     crisis are being answered in a timely manner by an individual 
     trained at the same level as a Veterans Crisis Line 
     responder.
       (e) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Organization that represents veterans.--The term 
     ``organization that represents veterans'' means an 
     organization recognized by the Secretary for the 
     representation of veterans under section 5902 of title 38, 
     United States Code.
       (2) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given 
     that term in section 101 of such title.
       (3) Veterans crisis line.--The term ``Veterans Crisis 
     Line'' means the toll-free hotline for veterans provided by 
     the Secretary under section 1720F(h) of such title.

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