Veterans' Sentinel Act

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to collect and analyze data regarding suicides and attempted suicides by veterans on the property of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Veterans’ Sentinel Act 2. Pilot program on collecting and analyzing data regarding certain veteran suicides (a) Pilot program (1) In general Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish in the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention a pilot program under which the Secretary establishes a working group in the Office to collect and analyze data regarding on-campus suicides and on-campus attempted suicides. (2) Working group (A) Membership The members of the working group established under paragraph (1) shall be selected from among staff representing each of the following: (i) The Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. (ii) The Veterans Health Administration. (iii) The Veterans Benefits Administration. (iv) The National Cemeteries Administration. (v) The Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness of the Department. (vi) The National Patient Safety Centers of the Department. (vii) Any other element of the Department as the Secretary determines appropriate. (B) Reporting The working group shall report directly to the Executive Director of the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. (3) Methodology In collecting and analyzing the information under paragraph (1), the working group shall— (A) use root cause analysis to review all on-campus suicides and on-campus attempted suicides; (B) with respect to on-campus suicides— (i) conduct Behavioral Health Autopsy Program assessments, including family interviews; and (ii) document reasons for any deficiencies in the data collected; and (C) not less frequently than every 90 days, communicate with the medical centers and field offices of the Department in order to coordinate the collection and review actions of the working group with such actions carried out by the medical centers and field offices. (4) Data collection intake improvements The working group shall consider, and may implement for purposes of the pilot program under paragraph (1), improvements to the process by which the Secretary collects data on on-campus suicides and on-campus attempted suicides to unify the disparate sources of such data, including with respect to— (A) modifying incident reports and other methods to collect data, including both suicide and attempted suicide report fields; (B) developing and ensuring that each data source, including the Behavioral Health Autopsy Program assessment, relating to on-campus suicides and on-campus attempted suicides include a specified section for such on-campus incidents; and (C) developing an associated management system to consolidate all relevant data for on-campus suicides and on-campus attempted suicides, including such data from Behavioral Health Autopsy Program assessments, health records of the Department, root cause analyses, incident reports, and other sources of data. (5) Briefings Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter during the life of the pilot program under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall provide to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a briefing on the progress and findings of the working group established under such paragraph. (6) Report Not later than 30 days after the date on which the pilot program under paragraph (1) is completed, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report detailing— (A) the effectiveness of the working group established under such paragraph; and (B) any recommendations to enhance the data collection and management by the Secretary with respect to on-campus suicides and on-campus suicide attempts, including improvements identified under paragraph (4). (7) Duration The Secretary shall carry out the pilot program under paragraph (1) for a period that is not less than two years. (8) Definitions In this subsection: (A) The term on-campus attempted suicide (B) The term on-campus suicide (b) Annual reports Section 1709B of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new subsection (b): (b) On-Campus suicides On an annual basis, the Secretary shall— (1) evaluate the statistical trends of suicides and attempted suicides by veterans that occur on the property of the Department; and (2) determine recommendations for preventing such suicides and attempted suicides. ; and (3) in subsection (c), as so redesignated— (A) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and (B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new paragraph (2): (2) Beginning with the report submitted in 2022, the matters under subsection (b), including any other matters relating to such matters as the Executive Director of the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention determines appropriate. . (c) Comptroller General report on the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (1) In general Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on— (A) the actions the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention of the Department of Veterans Affairs has taken to meet the priority objective of the Department with respect to preventing veteran suicide; (B) the challenges the Office has faced in making such actions; and (C) recommendations for improvements. (2) Elements The report under paragraph (1) shall include, with respect to the Office, an analysis of— (A) staffing and resource levels; (B) policies and processes; (C) leadership structure and stability; (D) identification and prioritization of activities; (E) organizational and reporting structure within the Department; and (F) any other matters the Comptroller General determines appropriate.

Summary: Veterans' Sentinel Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a pilot program establishing a working group in the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention to collect and analyze data regarding on-campus (i.e., on VA property) suicides and on-campus attempted suicides by veterans. The working group is authorized to implement improvements to the process by which the VA collects data related to on-campus suicides to unify the disparate sources of such data. The VA must annually brief Congress regarding the progress and findings of the working group. The bill requires the VA to (1) annually evaluate the statistical trends of suicides and attempted suicides by veterans that occur on VA property, and (2) determine recommendations for preventing such suicides and attempted suicides. Finally, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to submit a report on (1) the actions the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention has taken to meet the priority objective of the VA with respect to preventing veteran suicide, (2) the challenges the office has faced in making such actions, and (3) recommendations for improvements.