H. R. 327 
One Hundred Tenth Congress 
of the 
United States of America 
AT THE FIRST SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday, 
the fourth day of January, two thousand and seven 
An Act 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
to develop and implement a comprehensive program designed to reduce the inci-
dence of suicide among veterans. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide 
Prevention Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) suicide among veterans suffering from post-traumatic 
stress disorder (in this section referred to as ‘‘PTSD’’) is a 
serious problem; and 
(2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should take into 
consideration the special needs of veterans suffering from PTSD 
and the special needs of elderly veterans who are at high 
risk for depression and experience high rates of suicide in 
developing and implementing the comprehensive program 
under this Act. 
SEC. 3. COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION 
AMONG VETERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) COMPREHENSIVE
PROGRAM
FOR
SUICIDE
PREVENTION 
AMONG VETERANS.—Chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1720F. Comprehensive program for suicide prevention 
among veterans 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall develop and carry 
out a comprehensive program designed to reduce the incidence 
of suicide among veterans incorporating the components described 
in this section. 
‘‘(b) STAFF EDUCATION.—In carrying out the comprehensive pro-
gram under this section, the Secretary shall provide for mandatory 
training for appropriate staff and contractors (including all medical 
personnel) of the Department who interact with veterans. This 
training shall cover information appropriate to the duties being 
performed by such staff and contractors. The training shall include 
information on— 
‘‘(1) recognizing risk factors for suicide;
H. R. 327—2 
‘‘(2) proper protocols for responding to crisis situations 
involving veterans who may be at high risk for suicide; and 
‘‘(3) best practices for suicide prevention. 
‘‘(c) HEALTH ASSESSMENTS OF VETERANS.—In carrying out the 
comprehensive program, the Secretary shall direct that medical 
staff offer mental health in their overall health assessment when 
veterans seek medical care at a Department medical facility 
(including a center established under section 1712A of this title) 
and make referrals, at the request of the veteran concerned, to 
appropriate counseling and treatment programs for veterans who 
show signs or symptoms of mental health problems. 
‘‘(d) DESIGNATION OF SUICIDE PREVENTION COUNSELORS.—In 
carrying out the comprehensive program, the Secretary shall des-
ignate a suicide prevention counselor at each Department medical 
facility other than centers established under section 1712A of this 
title. Each counselor shall work with local emergency rooms, police 
departments, mental health organizations, and veterans service 
organizations to engage in outreach to veterans and improve the 
coordination of mental health care to veterans. 
‘‘(e) BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH.—In carrying out the com-
prehensive program, the Secretary shall provide for research on 
best practices for suicide prevention among veterans. Research shall 
be conducted under this subsection in consultation with the heads 
of the following entities: 
‘‘(1) The Department of Health and Human Services. 
‘‘(2) The National Institute of Mental Health. 
‘‘(3) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration. 
‘‘(4) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
‘‘(f) SEXUAL TRAUMA RESEARCH.—In carrying out the com-
prehensive program, the Secretary shall provide for research on 
mental health care for veterans who have experienced sexual 
trauma while in military service. The research design shall include 
consideration of veterans of a reserve component. 
‘‘(g) 24-HOUR MENTAL HEALTH CARE.—In carrying out the com-
prehensive program, the Secretary shall provide for mental health 
care availability to veterans on a 24-hour basis. 
‘‘(h) HOTLINE.—In carrying out the comprehensive program, 
the Secretary may provide for a toll-free hotline for veterans to 
be staffed by appropriately trained mental health personnel and 
available at all times. 
‘‘(i) OUTREACH AND EDUCATION FOR VETERANS AND FAMILIES.— 
In carrying out the comprehensive program, the Secretary shall 
provide for outreach to and education for veterans and the families 
of veterans, with special emphasis on providing information to 
veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring 
Freedom and the families of such veterans. Education to promote 
mental health shall include information designed to— 
‘‘(1) remove the stigma associated with mental illness; 
‘‘(2) encourage veterans to seek treatment and assistance 
for mental illness; 
‘‘(3) promote skills for coping with mental illness; and 
‘‘(4) help families of veterans with— 
‘‘(A) understanding issues arising from the readjust-
ment of veterans to civilian life; 
‘‘(B) identifying signs and symptoms of mental illness; 
and