I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8449 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program 
to collect and analyze data regarding suicides and attempted suicides 
by veterans on the property of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 30, 2020 
Mr. CROW (for himself, Mr. KELLY of Mississippi, Mr. DESJARLAIS, Ms. 
OMAR, and Mr. CRIST) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 
a pilot program to collect and analyze data regarding 
suicides and attempted suicides by veterans on the prop-
erty of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 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 ‘‘Veterans’ Sentinel 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON COLLECTING AND ANALYZING 
DATA REGARDING CERTAIN VETERAN SUI-
CIDES. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs shall establish in the Office of 
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention a pilot pro-
gram under which the Secretary establishes a work-
ing group in the Office to collect and analyze data 
regarding on-campus suicides and on-campus at-
tempted suicides. 
(2) WORKING GROUP.— 
(A) MEMBERSHIP.—The members of the 
working group established under paragraph (1) 
shall be selected from among staff representing 
each of the following: 
(i) The Office of Mental Health and 
Suicide Prevention. 
(ii) The Veterans Health Administra-
tion. 
(iii) The Veterans Benefits Adminis-
tration. 
(iv) The National Cemeteries Admin-
istration. 
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(v) The Office of Operations, Secu-
rity, and Preparedness of the Department. 
(vi) The National Patient Safety Cen-
ters of the Department. 
(vii) Any other element of the Depart-
ment as the Secretary determines appro-
priate. 
(B) REPORTING.—The working group shall 
report directly to the Executive Director of the 
Office of Mental Health and Suicide Preven-
tion. 
(3) METHODOLOGY.—In collecting and ana-
lyzing the information under paragraph (1), the 
working group shall— 
(A) use root cause analysis to review all 
on-campus suicides and on-campus attempted 
suicides; 
(B) with respect to on-campus suicides— 
(i) conduct Behavioral Health Au-
topsy Program assessments, including fam-
ily interviews; and 
(ii) document reasons for any defi-
ciencies in the data collected; and 
(C) not less frequently than every 90 days, 
communicate with the medical centers and field 
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offices of the Department in order to coordinate 
the collection and review actions of the working 
group with such actions carried out by the med-
ical centers and field offices. 
(4) DATA
COLLECTION
INTAKE
IMPROVE-
MENTS.—The working group shall consider, and 
may implement for purposes of the pilot program 
under paragraph (1), improvements to the process 
by which the Secretary collects data on on-campus 
suicides and on-campus attempted suicides to unify 
the disparate sources of such data, including with 
respect to— 
(A) modifying incident reports and other 
methods to collect data, including both suicide 
and attempted suicide report fields; 
(B) developing and ensuring that each 
data source, including the Behavioral Health 
Autopsy Program assessment, relating to on- 
campus suicides and on-campus attempted sui-
cides include a specified section for such on- 
campus incidents; and 
(C) developing an associated management 
system to consolidate all relevant data for on- 
campus suicides and on-campus attempted sui-
cides, including such data from Behavioral 
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Health Autopsy Program assessments, health 
records of the Department, root cause analyses, 
incident reports, and other sources of data. 
(5) BRIEFINGS.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter during the life of the pilot program under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall provide to the 
Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate a briefing on the 
progress and findings of the working group estab-
lished under such paragraph. 
(6) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date on which the pilot program under paragraph 
(1) is completed, the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate a report detailing— 
(A) the effectiveness of the working group 
established under such paragraph; and 
(B) any recommendations to enhance the 
data collection and management by the Sec-
retary with respect to on-campus suicides and 
on-campus suicide attempts, including improve-
ments identified under paragraph (4). 
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(7) DURATION.—The Secretary shall carry out 
the pilot program under paragraph (1) for a period 
that is not less than two years. 
(8) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
(A) The term ‘‘on-campus attempted sui-
cide’’ means an attempted suicide by a veteran 
that occurs on property of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs. 
(B) The term ‘‘on-campus suicide’’ means 
a suicide by a veteran that occurs on property 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
(b) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Section 1709B of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (b) as sub-
section (c); 
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol-
lowing new subsection (b): 
‘‘(b) ON-CAMPUS SUICIDES.—On an annual basis, 
the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) evaluate the statistical trends of suicides 
and attempted suicides by veterans that occur on the 
property of the Department; and 
‘‘(2) determine recommendations for preventing 
such suicides and attempted suicides.’’; and 
(3) in subsection (c), as so redesignated— 
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(A) by redesignating paragraph (2) as 
paragraph (3); and 
(B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the 
following new paragraph (2): 
‘‘(2) Beginning with the report submitted in 
2022, the matters under subsection (b), including 
any other matters relating to such matters as the 
Executive Director of the Office of Mental Health 
and Suicide Prevention determines appropriate.’’. 
(c) COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON THE OF-
FICE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall sub-
mit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate a report 
on— 
(A) the actions the Office of Mental Health 
and Suicide Prevention of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs has taken to meet the priority 
objective of the Department with respect to pre-
venting veteran suicide; 
(B) the challenges the Office has faced in 
making such actions; and 
(C) recommendations for improvements. 
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(2) ELEMENTS.—The report under paragraph 
(1) shall include, with respect to the Office, an anal-
ysis of— 
(A) staffing and resource levels; 
(B) policies and processes; 
(C) leadership structure and stability; 
(D) identification and prioritization of ac-
tivities; 
(E) organizational and reporting structure 
within the Department; and 
(F) any other matters the Comptroller 
General determines appropriate. 
Æ 
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