With its passage by both houses of Congress, a law aimed at bolstering suicide-intervention programs among service members headed to the White House for President Obama’s Feb. 12 signature. The measure, H.R. 5059 (the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act), contains key provisions that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to:
* Conduct annual third-party evaluations of the agency’s mental-health programs and submit those findings to Congress.
* Upgrade suicide prevention-related Web material at least every 90 days.
* Repay education loans for psychiatric medical students, in exchange for a commitment from them to work for the Veterans Health Administration.
* Begin a three-year pilot program that focuses on mental-health issues and counseling for service members who are transitioning to civilian life.
