Instructions: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Input: 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 (PTSD) is a serious problem; and
(2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should take into
consideration the special needs of veterans suffering from
post-traumatic stress disorder in developing and implementing
the comprehensive program required by section 3(a).

SEC. 3. COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION AMONG VETERANS.

(a) Program Required.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
develop and implement a comprehensive program for reducing the
incidence of suicide among veterans.
(b) Program Elements.--
(1) De-stigmatizing mental health.--The program required by
subsection (a) shall include a national mental health campaign
to increase awareness in the veteran community that mental
health is essential to overall health and that very effective
modern treatments can promote recovery from mental illness. The
campaign may include the following:
(A) Activities targeted at veterans of Operation
Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and the
families of such veterans.
(B) Monthly messages on the Internet website of the
Department of Veterans Affairs that express the theme
that mental health is essential to overall health.
(C) Inclusion of the theme described in
subparagraph (B) in public addresses, speeches, and
veterans service organization convention addresses by
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and other senior
officials of the Department.
(2) Training of employees and other personnel.--The program
shall provide for mandatory training on suicide and suicide
prevention for appropriate employees and contractor personnel
(including all medical personnel) of the Department of Veterans
Affairs who interact with veterans. Such training shall include
information pertinent to the job of such employees and
personnel, including information on the following:
(A) Recognition of risk factors for suicide.
(B) Protocols for responding to crisis situations
involving veterans who may be at high risk for suicide.
(C) Best practices for suicide prevention.
(3) Family education and outreach.--The program shall
include programs of outreach to, and education for, veterans
and families of veterans (including, in particular, veterans of
Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and the
families of such veterans) in order to assist the family
members of veterans in--
(A) eliminating or overcoming stigmas associated
with mental illness;
(B) understanding issues that arise in the
readjustment of veterans to civilian life;
(C) identifying signs and symptoms of mental health
problems; and
(D) encouraging veterans to seek assistance for
such problems.
(4) Peer support program.--
(A) In general.--The program shall provide support
for the development of a program to enable veterans to
serve as peer counselors to--
(i) assist other veterans with mental
health issues; and
(ii) conduct outreach to veterans and
families of veterans on mental health matters.
(B) Training.--The program supported by
subparagraph (A) shall include appropriate training for
peer counselors under the program, including training
in the identification of risk factors for suicide.
(C) Peer support counseling as supplemental
service.--The program supported by subparagraph (A)
shall be offered in addition to other mental health
services already offered by the Department and services
created pursuant to this Act.
(5) Health assessments of veterans.--The program shall
encourage all veterans, when they apply for benefits provided
by the Department, to undergo a mental health assessment at a
Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility (including a
center established under section 1712A of title 38, United
States Code).
(6) Counseling and treatment of veterans.--The program
shall provide for referrals to appropriate counseling and
treatment programs for veterans who show signs or symptoms of
mental health problems.
(7) Suicide prevention counselors.--The program shall
provide for the designation of a suicide prevention counselor
at each Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility other
than centers established under section 1712A of title 38,
United States Code. Each counselor shall work with local
emergency rooms, law enforcement agencies, local mental health
organizations, and veterans service organizations to engage in
outreach to veterans to inform them of mental health services
that are available to them and to improve the coordination of
mental health care to veterans at the local level.
(8) Research on best practices.--
(A) In general.--The program shall provide for
research on best practices for suicide prevention among
veterans.
(B) Steering committee.--The Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall develop a steering committee to advise
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on the research
described in subparagraph (A). Such steering committee
shall be comprised of representatives from the
following:
(i) National Institute of Mental Health.
(ii) Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration.
(iii) Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
(9) Substance abuse treatment.--The program shall provide
for referrals to appropriate counseling and treatment programs
of veterans who show signs or symptoms of substance abuse.
(10) 24-hour mental health care.--The program shall include
mechanisms to ensure the availability of services for mental
health care for veterans on a 24-hour basis.
(11) Telephone hotline.--The program may include a toll-
free telephone number (commonly referred to as an ''800
number'') through which veterans may obtain information on and
referrals to appropriate mental health services. The telephone
number shall be serviced by personnel with appropriate mental
health training, and shall be operational at all times.
(12) Other elements.--The program may provide for such
other activities and programs to reduce the incidence of
suicide among veterans as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
considers appropriate.

SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAMS AND
ACTIVITIES.

(a) Report Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit
to Congress a report on the programs and activities of the Department
of Veterans Affairs to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans.
(b) Elements.--The report shall include the following:
(1) A description of the status of the implementation of
the program required by section 3(a).
(2) A description of the scheduled implementation of the
program during the two-year period beginning on the date of the
enactment of this Act, including the costs of implementation of
the program over that period.
(3) A plan for additional programs and activities to reduce
the incidence of suicide among veterans.
(4) Such recommendations for additional legislative or
administrative action as the Secretary considers appropriate to
improve and enhance the suicide prevention programs and
activities of the Department.
(c) Consultation.--In developing the plan required by subsection
(b)(3), the Secretary shall consult with the following:
(1) The National Institute of Mental Health.
(2) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
(3) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Output:
Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) suicide among veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious problem; and (2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should take into consideration the special needs of veterans suffering from PTSD in developing and implementing the program required under this Act.

Directs the Secretary to develop and implement a comprehensive program for reducing the incidence of suicide among veterans.

Requires the program to include: (1) a national mental health campaign to increase mental health awareness in the veteran community; (2) mandatory training on suicide and suicide prevention for appropriate Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees and contractor personnel; (3) family education and peer support counseling; (4) veterans' health assessments, counseling, and treatment programs; (5) suicide prevention counselors; (6) research on suicide prevention; (7) treatment programs for veterans suffering from substance abuse; (8) 24-hour veterans' mental health care availability; and (9) a toll-free hotline.

Requires a report from the Secretary to Congress on VA programs and activities to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans.