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Managing America: Veterans

TheWeekInCongress.com (TM)

Week Ending October 26, 2007

H.R.327 To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to develop and implement a comprehensive program designed to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans.

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is directed to develop and carry out a program to reduce suicide among veterans through VA staff and VA contractor training, to screen veterans for suicide risk factors and track them and to refer at-risk veterans to counseling and treatment.

Staff at VAMC’s will include a suicide prevention counselor. The bill also requires mental health care for veterans who have experienced sexual trauma on duty. Veterans will access the help through a toll-free number and a 24-hour healthcare system.

The bill grew from Congress’ conclusion that post-traumatic stress Disorder is a serious condition fueling the risk of veteran suicide by introducing a complex set of behaviors that can lead to the act. The comprehensive program will train staff to recognize risk factors and symptoms and to respond with proper protocol in a crisis situation.

Congress found that the percentage of veteran suicides is nearly 20 per 1,000, a rate higher than the civilian average and historical military percentages around 13%.

An outreach program to veteran’s families will attempt to remove the stigma associated with mental illness, encourage veterans to seek treatment, promote skills to cope with mental illness and aid the families in understanding issues that arise from readjusting to civilian life.

Sponsor:  Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA-3^rd)

Vote: Passed House October 23. 2007 417 to 0 RC 987

Cost to the taxpayers: CBO reports that “According to VA, most of those requirements are already in place or will be implemented before the end of the year…, therefore, that implementing this bill would have little, if any, cost”

Earmark Certification:  H.R. 327 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives

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MORE INFORMATION

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 elderly veterans who are at high risk for depression and experience high rates of suicide in developing and implementing the comprehensive program under this Act.

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