I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4290 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate a week as ‘‘Battle 

Buddy Check Week’’ for the purpose of outreach and education concerning peer wellness checks for veterans, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 

Ms. JACKSON LEE (for herself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. BROWN of Maryland, and Mr. BANKS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate 

a week as ‘‘Battle Buddy Check Week’’ for the purpose 

of outreach and education concerning peer wellness 

checks for veterans, and for other purposes. 

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

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

4 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find5 ings: 

6 (1) The Department of Veterans Affairs is the 

7 Federal agency charged with managing benefits and 

8 health care for the Nation’s veterans. 


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1 (2) In recent years, the Department of Vet2 erans Affairs made the prevention of veteran suicide 

3 among the highest priorities of the Department and 

4 has developed data models to continually improve 

5 and tailor suicide prevention strategies and initia6 tives. 

7 (3) Among the recent suicide prevention initia8 tives are— 

9 (A) an expanded Veterans Crisis Line to 

10 three call centers; 

11 (B) launching the S.A.V.E. suicide preven12 tion training video; 

13 (C) implementing the Mayor’s Challenge, 

14 which engages local elected officials in veteran 

15 suicide prevention; and 

16 (D) partnering with the Department of 

17 Defense and the Department of Homeland Se18 curity to support veterans during their transi19 tion from military to civilian life. 

20 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con21 gress that the Department of Veterans Affairs should— 

22 (1) remain focused on screening transitioning 

23 members of the Armed Forces for factors associated 

24 with suicide and providing treatment and other serv25 ices needed to reduce suicides; 


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1 (2) undertake suicide prevention through a 

2 multi-pronged strategy that addresses the many fac3 tors that are known to contribute to suicide; 

4 (3) continue to regard suicide prevention as one 

5 of the highest priorities of the Department; and 

6 (4) provide guidance to other agencies and vet7 eran service organizations on the factors that are as8 sociated with suicide. 

9 SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF BATTLE BUDDY CHECK WEEK BY 

10 DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

11 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 

12 shall designate one week per year to organize outreach 

13 events and educate veterans on how to conduct peer 

14 wellness checks, which shall be known as ‘‘Battle Buddy 

15 Check Week’’. 

16 (b) EVENTS AND EDUCATION.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—During Battle Buddy Check 

18 Week, the Secretary, in consultation with organiza19 tions that represent veterans, non-profits that serve 

20 veterans, mental health experts, members of the 

21 Armed Forces, and such other entities and individ22 uals as the Secretary considers appropriate, shall 

23 collaborate with organizations that represent vet24 erans to provide educational opportunities for vet25 erans to learn how to conduct peer wellness checks. 


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1 (2) TRAINING MATTERS.—As part of the edu2 cational opportunities provided under paragraph (1), 

3 the Secretary shall provide the following: 

4 (A) A script for veterans to use to conduct 

5 peer wellness checks that includes information 

6 on appropriate referrals to resources veterans 

7 might need. 

8 (B) Online and in-person training, as ap9 propriate, on how to conduct a peer wellness 

10 check. 

11 (C) Opportunities for members of organi12 zations that represent veterans to learn how to 

13 train individuals to conduct peer wellness 

14 checks. 

15 (D) Training for veterans participating in 

16 Battle Buddy Check Week on how to transfer 

17 a phone call directly to the Veterans Crisis 

18 Line. 

19 (E) Resiliency training for veterans partici20 pating in Battle Buddy Check Week on han21 dling a veteran in crisis. 

22 (3) ONLINE MATERIALS.—All training materials 

23 provided under the educational opportunities under 

24 paragraph (1) shall be made available on a website 

25 of the Department. 


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1 (c) OUTREACH.—The Secretary, in collaboration with 

2 organizations that represent veterans, may conduct out3 reach regarding educational opportunities under sub4 section (b) at— 

5 (1) public events where many veterans are ex6 pected to congregate; 

7 (2) meetings of organizations that represent 

8 veterans; 

9 (3) facilities of the Department of Veterans Af10 fairs; and 

11 (4) such other locations as the Secretary, in col12 laboration with organizations that represent vet13 erans, considers appropriate. 

14 (d) VETERANS CRISIS LINE PLAN.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall ensure 

16 that the Veterans Crisis Line has a plan for han17 dling the potential increase of calls that may occur 

18 during Battle Buddy Check Week. 

19 (2) SUBMITTAL OF PLAN.—The head of the 

20 Veterans Crisis Line shall submit to the Secretary a 

21 plan for how to handle excess calls during Battle 

22 Buddy Check Week, which may include the fol23 lowing: 

24 (A) Additional hours for staff. 

25 (B) The use of a backup call center. 


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1 (C) Any other plan to ensure that calls 

2 from veterans in crisis are being answered in a 

3 timely manner by an individual trained at the 

4 same level as a Veterans Crisis Line responder. 

5 (e) VETERANS CRISIS LINE DEFINED.—In this sec6 tion, the term ‘‘Veterans Crisis Line’’ means the toll-free 

7 hotline for veterans established under section 1720F(h) of 

8 title 38, United States Code. 

Æ 


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