The House passed a bipartisan measure Jan. 13, aimed at quelling the spate of suicides among service members and veterans. Reps. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., Tim Walz, D-Minn., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., sponsored the measure, H.R. 203. Miller chairs the House Armed Services Committee. Provisions would:
Require the Department of Veterans Affairs to create an interactive Web site with easy access to information about mental-health services.
Authorize VA to launch a program to repay student loans of psychiatrists who in turn would come to work for the agency.
Establish a protocol of yearly evaluations of VA’s health-care and suicide-prevention programs, and make changes accordingly.
Bolster community support by establishing a transition program for veterans who are returning to civilian life.
Require VA to consult with non-profit mental health organizations to “improve the efficiency of suicide prevention efforts.”
