IB 
Union Calendar No. 295 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4173 
[Report No. 115–400] 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the 
Veterans Crisis Line. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 31, 2017 
Mr. BANKS of Indiana (for himself, Mr. HOLLINGSWORTH, Mr. MESSER, Mr. 
BUCSHON, Mrs. WALORSKI, and Mr. MOULTON) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
NOVEMBER 7, 2017 
Additional sponsors: Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N of Puerto Rico, Mrs. BROOKS of 
Indiana, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Mr. COFFMAN, Mr. ROKITA, Mr. YOUNG of 
Iowa, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, and Ms. GABBARD 
NOVEMBER 7, 2017 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on October 31, 2017] 
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A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a 
study on the Veterans Crisis Line. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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 Vet-
erans 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 con-
tacting the Veterans Crisis Line and being re-
ferred 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 con-
tacting the Veterans Crisis Line and being re-
ferred to a suicide prevention specialist, either— 
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(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 re-
ceived hospital care or medical services furnished 
by the Secretary; and 
(B) the number of veterans who contact the 
Veterans Crisis Line and have previously re-
ceived 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 De-
partment at the time of such contact. 
(4) Whether receiving sustained mental health 
care affects suicidality and whether veterans pre-
viously receiving mental health care furnished by the 
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Secretary use the Veterans Crisis Line in times of cri-
sis, with respect to the veterans described in para-
graph (3), by determining the time frame between re-
ceiving 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 Vet-
erans Crisis Line is contacted by a non-veteran, by 
determining, of the number of non-veterans who con-
tact the Veterans Crisis Line looking for support in 
assisting a veteran, how many of such individuals re-
ceive 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 
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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 sui-
cide. 
(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 sui-
cide. 
(9) The efficacy of the Veterans Crisis Line to 
promote continued mental health care in those vet-
erans who are at high risk for suicide whose suicide 
was prevented, by determining, of the number of vet-
erans 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. 
(10) Such other matters as the Secretary deter-
mines appropriate. 
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(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING DATA COL-
LECTION.—Nothing in this section may be construed to 
modify or affect the manner in which data is collected, or 
the kind or content of data collected, by the Secretary under 
the Veterans Crisis Line. 
(d) SUBMISSION.—Not later than March 1, 2020, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate the 
study 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. 
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