Veterans Crisis Line Study Act of 2017

Summary: Veterans Crisis Line Study Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to 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 line.  Such study shall address: (1) the efficacy of the line in leading veterans to sustained mental health regimens and suicide prevention; (2) the line's visibility; (3) the role of the line as part of the VA's mental health care services; and (4) whether receiving sustained mental health care affects suicidality, including among veterans who are at high risk for suicide.

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.
    (c) Data Collection Practices.--During the portion of the five-year 
period of study under subsection (a) after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, data shall be collected in the same manner that it had been 
collected during the portion of the period of the study before such 
date of enactment. Data collection shall not be construed as being 
extended, contracted, or modified in any way due to the enactment of 
this Act.
    (d) Submission.--Not later than March 1, 2020, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the 
Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives the 
study conducted 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.