IIB 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4173 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
NOVEMBER 9, 2017 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
AN ACT 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a 
study on the Veterans Crisis Line. 
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 ‘‘Veterans Crisis Line 
Study Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. STUDY ON EFFICACY OF VETERANS CRISIS LINE. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
conduct a study on the outcomes and the efficacy of the 
Veterans Crisis Line during the 5-year period beginning 
January 1, 2014, based on an analysis of national suicide 
data and data collected from the Veterans Crisis Line. 
(b) MATTERS INCLUDED.—The study under sub-
section (a) shall address the following: 
(1) The efficacy of the Veterans Crisis Line in 
leading veterans to sustained mental health regi-
mens, by determining— 
(A) the number of veterans who, after con-
tacting the Veterans Crisis Line and being re-
ferred to a suicide prevention specialist, begin 
and continue mental health care furnished by 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and 
(B) the number of veterans who, after con-
tacting the Veterans Crisis Line and being re-
ferred to a suicide prevention specialist, ei-
ther— 
(i) begin mental health care furnished 
by the Secretary but do not continue such 
care; or 
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(ii) do not begin such care. 
(2) The visibility of the Veterans Crisis Line, 
by determining— 
(A) the number of veterans who contact 
the Veterans Crisis Line and have not pre-
viously received hospital care or medical serv-
ices furnished by the Secretary; and 
(B) the number of veterans who contact 
the Veterans Crisis Line and have previously 
received hospital care or medical services fur-
nished by the Secretary. 
(3) The role of the Veterans Crisis Line as part 
of the mental health care services of the Depart-
ment, by determining, of the veterans who are en-
rolled in the health care system established under 
section 1705(a) of title 38, United States Code, who 
contact the Veterans Crisis Line, the number who 
are under the care of a mental health care provider 
of the Department at the time of such contact. 
(4) Whether receiving sustained mental health 
care affects suicidality and whether veterans pre-
viously receiving mental health care furnished by the 
Secretary use the Veterans Crisis Line in times of 
crisis, with respect to the veterans described in para-
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graph (3), by determining the time frame between 
receiving such care and the time of such contact. 
(5) The effectiveness of the Veterans Crisis 
Line in assisting veterans at risk for suicide when 
the Veterans Crisis Line is contacted by a non-vet-
eran, by determining, of the number of non-veterans 
who contact the Veterans Crisis Line looking for 
support in assisting a veteran, how many of such in-
dividuals receive support in having a veteran begin 
to receive mental health care furnished by the Sec-
retary. 
(6) The overall efficacy of the Veterans Crisis 
Line in preventing suicides and whether the number 
of contacts affects the efficacy, by determining— 
(A) the number of veterans who contact 
the Veterans Crisis Line who ultimately commit 
or attempt suicide; and 
(B) of such veterans, how many times did 
a veteran contact the Veterans Crisis Line prior 
to committing or attempting suicide. 
(7) The long-term efficacy of the Veterans Cri-
sis Line in preventing repeated suicide attempts and 
whether the efficacy is temporary, by determining, of 
the number of veterans who contacted the Veterans 
Crisis Line and did not commit or attempt suicide 
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during the following 6-month period, the number 
who contacted the Veterans Crisis Line in crisis at 
a later time and thereafter did commit or attempt 
suicide. 
(8) Whether referral to mental health care af-
fects the risk of suicide, by determining— 
(A) the number of veterans who contact 
the Veterans Crisis Line who are not referred 
to, or do not continue receiving, mental health 
care who commit suicide; and 
(B) the number of veterans described in 
paragraph (1)(A) who commit or attempt sui-
cide. 
(9) The efficacy of the Veterans Crisis Line to 
promote continued mental health care in those vet-
erans who are at high risk for suicide whose suicide 
was prevented, by determining, of the number of vet-
erans who contacted the Veterans Crisis Line and 
did not commit or attempt suicide soon thereafter, 
the number that begin and continue to receive men-
tal health care furnished by the Secretary. 
(10) Such other matters as the Secretary deter-
mines appropriate. 
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING DATA COL-
LECTION.—Nothing in this section may be construed to 
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modify or affect the manner in which data is collected, 
or the kind or content of data collected, by the Secretary 
under the Veterans Crisis Line. 
(d) SUBMISSION.—Not later than May 31, 2019, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate the 
study under subsection (a). 
(e) VETERANS CRISIS LINE DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘Veterans Crisis Line’’ means the toll-free 
hotline for veterans established under section 1720F(h) of 
title 38, United States Code. 
Passed the House of Representatives November 8, 
2017. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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