IIB 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 327 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MARCH 22, 2007 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
AN ACT 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a 
comprehensive program designed to reduce the incidence 
of suicide among veterans. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Joshua Omvig Vet-
erans 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 elder-
ly 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 PREVEN-
TION 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 preven-
tion among veterans 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall develop 
and carry out a comprehensive program designed to re-
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duce the incidence of suicide among veterans incorporating 
the components described in this section. 
‘‘(b) STAFF EDUCATION.—In carrying out the com-
prehensive program under this section, the Secretary shall 
provide for mandatory training for appropriate staff and 
contractors (including all medical personnel) of the De-
partment who interact with veterans. This training shall 
cover information appropriate to the duties being per-
formed by such staff and contractors. The training shall 
include information on— 
‘‘(1) recognizing risk factors for suicide; 
‘‘(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) SCREENING OF VETERANS RECEIVING MEDICAL 
CARE.—In carrying out the comprehensive program, the 
Secretary shall provide for screening of veterans who re-
ceive medical care at a Department medical facility (in-
cluding a center established under section 1712A of this 
title) for risk factors for suicide. 
‘‘(d) TRACKING OF VETERANS.—In carrying out the 
comprehensive program, the Secretary shall provide for 
appropriate tracking of veterans. 
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‘‘(e) COUNSELING
AND
TREATMENT
OF
VET-
ERANS.—In carrying out the comprehensive program, the 
Secretary shall provide for referral of veterans at risk for 
suicide for appropriate counseling and treatment. 
‘‘(f) DESIGNATION OF SUICIDE PREVENTION COUN-
SELORS.—In carrying out the comprehensive program, the 
Secretary shall designate a suicide prevention counselor at 
each Department medical facility other than centers estab-
lished under section 1712A of this title. Each counselor 
shall work with local emergency rooms, police depart-
ments, mental health organizations, and veterans service 
organizations to engage in outreach to veterans and im-
prove the coordination of mental health care to veterans. 
‘‘(g) BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH.—In carrying out 
the comprehensive 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. 
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‘‘(4) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention. 
‘‘(h) SEXUAL TRAUMA RESEARCH.—In carrying out 
the comprehensive 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. 
‘‘(i) 24-HOUR MENTAL HEALTH CARE.—In carrying 
out the comprehensive program, the Secretary shall pro-
vide for mental health care availability to veterans on a 
24-hour basis. 
‘‘(j) 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. 
‘‘(k) OUTREACH AND EDUCATION FOR VETERANS 
AND FAMILIES.—In carrying out the comprehensive pro-
gram, the Secretary shall provide for outreach to and edu-
cation for veterans and the families of veterans, with spe-
cial emphasis on providing information to veterans of Op-
eration Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom 
and the families of such veterans. Education to promote 
mental health shall include information designed to— 
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‘‘(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 ill-
ness; and 
‘‘(4) help families of veterans with— 
‘‘(A) understanding issues arising from the 
readjustment of veterans to civilian life; 
‘‘(B) identifying signs and symptoms of 
mental illness; and 
‘‘(C) encouraging veterans to seek assist-
ance for mental illness. 
‘‘(l) PEER SUPPORT COUNSELING PROGRAM.—(1) In 
carrying out the comprehensive program, the Secretary 
shall establish and carry out a peer support counseling 
program, under which veterans shall be permitted to vol-
unteer as peer counselors— 
‘‘(A) to assist other veterans with issues 
related to mental health and readjustment; and 
‘‘(B) to conduct outreach to veterans and 
the families of veterans. 
‘‘(2) In carrying out the peer support counseling pro-
gram under this subsection, the Secretary shall provide 
adequate training for peer counselors. 
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‘‘(m) OTHER COMPONENTS.—In carrying out the 
comprehensive program, the Secretary may provide for 
other actions to reduce the incidence of suicide among vet-
erans that the Secretary deems appropriate.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 
by adding at the end the following new item: 
‘‘1720F. Comprehensive program for suicide prevention among veterans.’’. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 
(1) REPORT
REQUIRED.—Not later than 90 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Con-
gress a report on the comprehensive program under 
section 1720A of title 38, United States Code, as 
added by subsection (a). 
(2) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—The report shall 
contain the following: 
(A) Information on the status of the imple-
mentation of such program. 
(B) Information on the time line and costs 
for complete implementation of the program 
within two years. 
(C) A plan for additional programs and ac-
tivities designed to reduce the occurrence of sui-
cide among veterans. 
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(D) Recommendations for further legisla-
tion or administrative action that the Secretary 
considers appropriate to improve suicide preven-
tion programs within the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs. 
Passed the House of Representatives March 21, 
2007. 
Attest: 
LORRAINE C. MILLER, 
Clerk. 
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