I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2836 
To amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 
to improve and expand suicide prevention and community healing and 
response training under the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2009 
Mr. HODES (for himself and Ms. SHEA-PORTER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To amend the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2008 to improve and expand suicide prevention 
and community healing and response training under the 
Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program. 
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 National Guard and 
Reservist Suicide Prevention and Community Response 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF SUICIDE PREVENTION AND COMMU-
NITY HEALING AND RESPONSE TRAINING 
UNDER THE YELLOW RIBBON REINTEGRA-
TION PROGRAM. 
Section 582 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110–181; 122 Stat. 
122) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (h)— 
(A) by striking paragraph (3); and 
(B) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(4) 
through (15) as paragraphs (3) through (14), 
respectively; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(i) SUICIDE PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY HEAL-
ING AND RESPONSE PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—As part of the Yellow 
Ribbon Reintegration Program, the Office for Re-
integration Programs shall establish a program to 
provide National Guard and Reserve members, their 
families, and their communities with training in sui-
cide prevention and community healing and response 
to suicide. 
‘‘(2) DESIGN.—In establishing the program 
under paragraph (1), the Office for Reintegration 
Programs shall— 
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‘‘(A) consult with— 
‘‘(i) officials associated with the ‘Con-
nect’ program of the National Alliance on 
Mental Illness New Hampshire; and 
‘‘(ii) the adjutant general of each 
state, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
the District of Columbia, Guam, and the 
Virgin Islands; and 
‘‘(B) model the program after the ‘Con-
nect’ program of the National Alliance on Men-
tal Illness New Hampshire. 
‘‘(3) OPERATION.— 
‘‘(A) SUICIDE
PREVENTION
TRAINING.— 
The Office for Reintegration Programs shall 
provide National Guard and Reserve members 
with training in suicide prevention. Such train-
ing shall include— 
‘‘(i) describing the warning signs for 
suicide and teaching effective strategies for 
prevention and intervention; 
‘‘(ii) examining the influence of mili-
tary culture on risk and protective factors 
for suicide; and 
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‘‘(iii) engaging in interactive case sce-
narios and role plays to practice effective 
intervention strategies. 
‘‘(B) COMMUNITY
HEALING
AND
RE-
SPONSE TRAINING.—The Office for Reintegra-
tion Programs shall provide the families and 
communities of National Guard and Reserve 
members with training in responses to suicide 
that promote individual and community healing. 
Such training shall include— 
‘‘(i) enhancing collaboration among 
community members and local service pro-
viders to create an integrated, coordinated 
community response to suicide; 
‘‘(ii) communicating best practices for 
preventing suicide, including safe mes-
saging, appropriate memorial services, and 
media guidelines; 
‘‘(iii) addressing the impact of suicide 
on the military and the larger community, 
and the increased risk that can result; and 
‘‘(iv) managing resources to assist key 
community and military service providers 
in helping the families, friends, and fellow 
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soldiers of a suicide victim through the 
processes of grieving and healing. 
‘‘(C) COLLABORATION WITH CENTERS OF 
EXCELLENCE.—The Office for Reintegration 
Programs, in consultation with the Defense 
Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health 
and Traumatic Brain Injury, shall collect and 
analyze ‘lessons learned’ and suggestions from 
State National Guard and Reserve organiza-
tions with existing or developing suicide preven-
tion and community response programs. 
‘‘(4) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this subsection $15,000,000 for each fiscal year be-
ginning with fiscal year 2010.’’. 
Æ 
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