I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4157 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to prepare an annual report 
on suicide prevention, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 15, 2023 
Mr. CONNOLLY (for himself and Ms. MACE) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to prepare an 
annual report on suicide prevention, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Not Just a Number 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. NATIONAL VETERAN SUICIDE PREVENTION AN-
NUAL REPORT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and not later than 
September 30 of each year thereafter, the Secretary of 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—Each report under sub-
section (a) shall include the findings of the national 
analysis of veteran suicide rates for the latest year 
data is available and shall include trends and com-
parisons to previous years. 
(2) 
ADDITIONAL
ELEMENTS.—Each 
report 
under subsection (a) shall include, for the year cov-
ered by the report, the following: 
(A) Suicide rates of veterans disaggregated 
by age, gender, and race or ethnicity. 
(B) Trends in suicide rates of veterans 
compared to engagement of those veterans with 
health care from the Veterans Health Adminis-
tration, including an examination of trends in 
suicide rates or deaths among— 
(i) veterans who have recently received 
health care from the Veterans Health Ad-
ministration as compared to veterans who 
have never received health care from the 
Veterans Health Administration; 
(ii) veterans who are enrolled in the 
patient enrollment system of the Depart-
ment of Veterans Affairs under section 
1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, as 
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compared to veterans who have never en-
rolled in such system; 
(iii) veterans who have recently used 
services from a Vet Center as compared to 
veterans who have never used such serv-
ices; 
(iv) veterans who have a diagnosis of 
substance use disorder; and 
(v) other groups of veterans relating 
to engagement with health care from the 
Veterans Health Administration, as the 
Secretary considers practicable. 
(C) Trends in suicide rates of veterans 
compared to engagement of those veterans with 
benefits from the Veterans Benefits Administra-
tion, including an examination of trends in sui-
cide rates or deaths among— 
(i) veterans who are currently using, 
have previously used, or have never used 
educational assistance under the laws ad-
ministered by the Secretary; 
(ii) veterans who are currently receiv-
ing, have previously received, or have never 
received services or assistance under chap-
ter 31 of title 38, United States Code; 
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(iii) with respect to compensation 
under chapter 11 of such title— 
(I) veterans who were recipients 
of such compensation as compared to 
veterans who never applied for such 
compensation prior to death; 
(II) veterans who had a claim de-
nied for such compensation prior to 
death; 
(III) veterans who had a pending 
claim for such compensation at time 
of death; and 
(IV) veterans who had an entitle-
ment for such compensation reduced 
prior to death; 
(iv) veterans who are currently receiv-
ing or have never received pension under 
chapter 15 of title 38, United States Code, 
excluding those who have never received 
pension benefits but who were receiving 
compensation benefits; 
(v) veterans who are currently using, 
have previously used, or have never used 
programs or services provided by the 
Homeless Programs Office of the Depart-
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ment, including an examination of trends 
in suicide rates or deaths among veterans 
who made contact with such office but 
were denied or deemed ineligible for any 
such program or service; 
(vi) with respect to housing loans 
guaranteed by the Secretary under chapter 
37 of title 38, United States Code— 
(I) veterans who applied for such 
a loan, whether their application was 
accepted or not; 
(II) veterans who are current re-
cipients of, were previously recipients 
of, or have never received such a loan; 
and 
(III) veterans who were turned 
down for such a loan by a lender; 
(vii) with respect to financial hard-
ships— 
(I) veterans facing health care 
debts; 
(II) veterans owing debts to the 
Department; 
(III) veterans facing foreclosure 
or bankruptcy; and 
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(IV) other relevant debts owed by 
a veteran related to claims for bene-
fits under the laws administered by 
the Secretary; 
(viii) veterans who were involved in a 
veterans treatment court program, whether 
they graduated successfully or not; and 
(ix) veterans who were successfully 
contacted, unsuccessfully contacted, or 
never 
contacted 
by 
the 
Department 
through the Solid Start program under 
section 6320 of title 38, United States 
Code. 
(3) STRATEGY AND RECOMMENDATIONS.— 
(A) INITIAL REPORT.—The initial report 
under subsection (a) shall include a strategy 
and recommendations developed by the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with 
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention and the Secretary of Defense, 
for— 
(i) improving data collection at the 
State and local levels to accurately capture 
suicide deaths of veterans; 
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(ii) improving the timeliness, efficacy, 
and standardization of data reporting on 
suicide deaths of veterans at the Federal 
level, including by the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, the Department of 
Defense, and the Department of Veterans 
Affairs; 
(iii) improving the timeliness of identi-
fication and analysis of suicide deaths of 
veterans by Federal agencies, including the 
Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion, the Department of Defense, and the 
Department of Veterans Affairs; and 
(iv) any other necessary process im-
provements for improving the timeliness, 
efficacy, and standardization of reporting 
of data relating to suicide deaths of vet-
erans, particularly with respect to the an-
nual report under this section. 
(B) SUBSEQUENT REPORTS.—Each report 
after the initial report under subsection (a) 
shall include updates on actions taken to meet 
the strategy and recommendations developed 
under subparagraph (A). 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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(1) 
APPROPRIATE
COMMITTEES
OF
CON-
GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con-
gress’’ means the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
of the House of Representatives. 
(2) VET
CENTER.—The term ‘‘Vet Center’’ 
means a center for readjustment counseling and re-
lated mental health services for veterans under sec-
tion 1712A of title 38, United States Code. 
SEC. 3. REPORT ON ADDITIONAL BENEFITS AND SERVICES 
FROM DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
TO PREVENT VETERAN SUICIDE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than three years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and publish 
on a publicly available website of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs a report that analyzes which benefits and 
services from the Department, including the Veterans 
Benefits Administration, have the greatest impact on pre-
vention of suicide among veterans, including recommenda-
tions for potential expansion of services and benefits to 
reduce the number of veteran suicides. 
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(b) ASSESSMENT OF SOLID START PROGRAM.—The 
report required by subsection (a) shall include an analysis 
of the effectiveness of the Solid Start program under sec-
tion 6320 of title 38, United States Code, on prevention 
of suicide among veterans. 
SEC. 4. TOOLKIT FOR STATE AND LOCAL CORONERS AND 
MEDICAL EXAMINERS ON BEST PRACTICES 
FOR IDENTIFYING AND REPORTING ON SUI-
CIDE DEATHS OF VETERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs, in collaboration with the Director of the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, shall develop a toolkit for 
State and local coroners and medical examiners that con-
tains best practices for— 
(1) accurately identifying and reporting suicide 
deaths of veterans, including how to identify veteran 
status; and 
(2) reporting such deaths to the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention and other applicable 
entities. 
(b) AVAILABILITY.—Not later than two years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
make the toolkit developed under subsection (a) available 
on a publicly available website of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs. 
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(c) OUTREACH.—The Secretary, in collaboration with 
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention, shall conduct outreach to appropriate State and 
local agencies to promote the availability and use of the 
toolkit developed under subsection (a). 
SEC. 5. STUDY ON FEASIBILITY AND ADVISABILITY OF CRE-
ATING A SUICIDE PREVENTION OFFICE OF 
THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—After the submittal by the Comp-
troller General of the United States to the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives of the man-
agement review required under section 403 of the Com-
mander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care 
Improvement Act of 2019 (Public Law 116–171; 134 
Stat. 810), which required a management review of the 
mental health and suicide prevention services provided by 
the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs shall— 
(1) review the findings and recommendations of 
the management review; and 
(2) conduct a study on the feasibility and advis-
ability of creating a suicide prevention office of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs at the level of the 
Office of the Secretary that would elevate suicide 
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prevention as a top priority across the entire De-
partment, including with respect to the work and 
programs of the Veterans Benefits Administration 
and under partnerships with other entities, including 
other Federal agencies and non-governmental part-
ners. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than two years 
after the submittal by the Comptroller General of 
the management review described in subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on 
Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a 
report summarizing— 
(A) any actions planned or taken, includ-
ing reorganizations or changes to reporting or 
governance structures, in response to the man-
agement review, including any completion dates 
or targeted completion dates for any such ac-
tions; and 
(B) the results of the study required under 
subsection (a)(2), which shall include an exam-
ination of the considerations for creating a sui-
cide prevention office of the Department of Vet-
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erans Affairs at the level of the Office of the 
Secretary, including— 
(i) benefits and potential drawbacks; 
(ii) projected costs and staffing needs, 
including new full-time equivalent employ-
ees and transferred full-time equivalent 
employees; and 
(iii) 
suggested 
organizational 
and 
leadership structure and principal activities 
and functions of the suicide prevention of-
fice. 
(2) RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING ORGANIZA-
TION AND LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE.—In providing 
suggestions for organizational and leadership struc-
ture under the report under paragraph (1)(B)(iii), 
the Secretary shall— 
(A) assess whether the suicide prevention 
office of the Department should be led by a po-
litical appointee, a career employee in a Senior 
Executive Service position (as defined in section 
3132 of title 5, United States Code) or equiva-
lent, or another position type; and 
(B) detail which functions would remain in 
the current Office of Mental Health and Suicide 
Prevention of the Veterans Health Administra-
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tion, including an assessment of where manage-
ment of the Veterans Crisis Line under section 
1720F(h) of title 38, United States Code, 
should reside. 
Æ 
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