S.Amdt. 4722

1. Adds SEC. 594. SUICIDE PREVENTION MONITORING OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES ADMINISTRATIVELY SEPARATED FOR HIGH RISK BEHAVIOR DURING THEIR TRANSITION TO DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CARE at the end of subtitle J of title V

   Adds a section

   In S. 3454 · Placed on Calendar Senate

   (3) in subparagraph (D), by striking "Optometry" and inserting "Clinical Health Sciences".

   Inserted: SEC. 594. SUICIDE PREVENTION MONITORING OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES ADMINISTRATIVELY SEPARATED FOR HIGH RISK BEHAVIOR DURING THEIR TRANSITION TO DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CARE.

   Inserted: (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:

   Inserted: (1) Suicide rates for members of the Armed Forces on active duty and veterans have risen as a result of multiple tours of duty in ongoing military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, with 20 percent of all suicides in the United States committed by veterans. On average, 18 veterans commit suicide each day, but just 5 such veterans-or 27 percent-are under the care of the Department of Veterans Affairs at the time.

   Inserted: (2) The 2010 Army Health Promotion Risk Reduction Suicide Prevention Report states that the current suicide problem in the Army is exacerbated by an acceptance of high risk behaviors, which have been increasing since fiscal year 2004. The report contains recommendations that could result in the separation from the Armed Forces for disciplinary reasons of members who have a potential for suicide.

   Inserted: (3) To address this possibility, the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs should jointly develop policies and procedures to specifically mitigate the risks associated with such separations.

   Inserted: (b) Suicide Prevention Monitoring.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly carry out a program to monitor members of the Armed Forces who are administratively separated from the Armed Forces for high risk behavior during their transition to receipt of care from the Department of Veterans Affairs and to otherwise assist such members in that transition. The program shall be known as the "DOD-to-VA Suicide Prevention Pipeline Program".

   Inserted: (2) Elements.--Under the program, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly assign to each individual who is administratively separated from the Armed Forces for high risk behavior a case worker who shall meet with such individual, with such frequency as the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs jointly determine appropriate, in order to monitor the behavior of such individual, offer support to such individual, and encourage such individual to take advantage of benefits and care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Such meetings shall continue for a given individual until the individual is under the effective jurisdiction of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs otherwise jointly determine such meetings are no longer necessary.

   Inserted: (3) High risk behavior.--For purposes of this subsection, high risk behavior includes attempted suicide, illicit use of drugs (whether prescription or illegal), substance abuse, criminal activity, gambling, infidelity, excessive spending, reckless driving, and other such behavior that alone or in combination with other behavior results in administrative separation from the Armed Forces.

   Inserted: (c) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives a report on the program required by subsection (b). The report shall set forth a description of the program and an assessment of the effectiveness of the program in preventing suicide among individuals who are administratively separated from the Armed Forces for high risk behavior.

   Original wording

   At the end of subtitle J of title V, add the following:

Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.

As printed