I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8033 

To improve the ability of veterans to access suicide prevention coordinators 

of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 14, 2020 

Mr. BRINDISI (for himself, Mr. BOST, and Mr. BANKS) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To improve the ability of veterans to access suicide prevention coordinators of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Access to Suicide Pre5 vention Coordinators Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SUICIDE PREVENTION COORDINATORS. 

7 (a) STAFFING REQUIREMENT.—Beginning not later 

8 than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

9 the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall— 


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1 (1) ensure that each medical center of the De2 partment of Veterans Affairs has no fewer than one 

3 full-time employee whose primary job responsibility 

4 is serving as a suicide prevention coordinator; 

5 (2) ensure that all Department medical centers 

6 report to the Office of Mental Health and Suicide 

7 Prevention of the Department regarding their hiring 

8 plans to reach the number of recommended suicide 

9 prevention coordinators based on the current staff10 ing model; and 

11 (3) consider and implement findings from the 

12 assessment of the Comptroller General of the United 

13 States of the responsibilities, workload, and vacancy 

14 rates for suicide prevention coordinators, as required 

15 under section 2 of the Support for Suicide Preven16 tion Coordinators Act (Public Law 116–96). 

17 (b) STUDY ON REORGANIZATION.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

19 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec20 retary, in consultation with the Office of Mental 

21 Health and Suicide Prevention of the Department, 

22 shall commence the conduct of a study to determine 

23 the feasibility and advisability of— 

24 (A) the realignment and reorganization of 

25 suicide prevention coordinators within the OfVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:34 Aug 29, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8033.IH H8033

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1 fice of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention; 

2 and 

3 (B) the creation of a suicide prevention co4 ordinator program office. 

5 (2) PROGRAM OFFICE REALIGNMENT.—In con6 ducting the study under paragraph (1), the Sec7 retary shall assess the feasibility of advisability of, 

8 within the suicide prevention coordinator program 

9 office described in paragraph (1)(B), aligning suicide 

10 prevention coordinators and case managers within 

11 the organizational structure and chart of the Suicide 

12 Prevention Program of the Department, with the Di13 rector of the Suicide Prevention program having ul14 timate supervisory oversight and responsibility over 

15 the suicide prevention coordinator program office. 

16 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the com17 pletion of the study under subsection (b), the Secretary 

18 shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

19 Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

20 House of Representatives a report on such study, includ21 ing the following: 

22 (1) An assessment of the feasibility and advis23 ability of creating a suicide prevention coordinator 

24 program office to oversee and monitor suicide pre25 vention coordinators and suicide prevention case 


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1 managers across all medical centers of the Depart2 ment. 

3 (2) A review of current staffing ratios for sui4 cide prevention coordinators and suicide prevention 

5 case managers in comparison with current staffing 

6 ratios for mental health providers within each med7 ical center of the Department. 

8 (3) A description of the duties and responsibil9 ities for suicide prevention coordinators across the 

10 Department to better define, delineate, and stand11 ardize qualifications, performance goals, perform12 ance duties, and performance outcomes for suicide 

13 prevention coordinators and suicide prevention case 

14 managers. 

Æ 


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