Veteran Suicide Prevention Act

Veteran Suicide Prevention Act

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to complete a publicly available review of the deaths of all covered veterans who died by suicide during the preceding five-year period.

Such review shall include:

• the total number of veterans who died by suicide during the five-year period;
• a summary that includes age, gender, and race;
• a list of the medications prescribed to, and found in the systems of, such veterans at the time of their deaths, and a summary of medical diagnoses by VA physicians which led to the prescribing of such medications;
• the number of instances in which the veteran was concurrently on multiple medications prescribed by VA physicians;
• the percentage of veterans who were not taking any medication prescribed by a VA physician;
• the percentage of veterans with combat experience or trauma;
• Veterans Health Administration facilities with markedly high prescription and patient suicide rates;
• a description of VA policies governing the prescribing of medications; and
• recommendations to improve the safety and well-being of veterans.

"Covered veteran" means any veteran who received VA hospital care or medical services during the five-year period preceding the veteran's death.

[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4640 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4640

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a review of the 
deaths of certain veterans who died by suicide, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 26, 2016

   Mr. Jolly (for himself, Ms. Titus, Mr. Abraham, and Ms. Gabbard) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a review of the 
deaths of certain veterans who died by suicide, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Veteran Suicide Prevention Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS REVIEW OF CERTAIN VETERANS' 
              DEATHS BY SUICIDE.

    (a) Review Required.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
complete a review of the deaths of all covered veterans who died by 
suicide during the five-year period preceding the date of the enactment 
of this Act. Such review shall include--
            (1) the total number of veterans who died by suicide during 
        the five-year period preceding the date of the enactment of 
        this Act;
            (2) a summary of such veterans that includes the age, 
        gender, and race of such veterans;
            (3) a comprehensive list of the medications prescribed to, 
        and found in the systems of, such veterans at the time of their 
        deaths, specifically listing any medications that carried a 
        black box warning, were off-label, psychotropic, or carried 
        warnings that included suicidal ideation;
            (4) a summary of medical diagnoses by Department of 
        Veterans Affairs physicians which led to the prescribing of the 
        medications referred to in paragraph (3);
            (5) the number of instances in which the veteran who died 
        by suicide was concurrently on multiple medications prescribed 
        by Department of Veterans Affairs physicians;
            (6) the percentage of veterans who died by suicide who were 
        not taking any medication prescribed by a Department of 
        Veterans Affairs physician;
            (7) the percentage of veterans referred to in paragraph (1) 
        with combat experience or trauma (including, but not limited to 
        military sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, and post-
        traumatic stress);
            (8) Veteran Health Administration facilities with markedly 
        high prescription and suicide rates of patients being treated 
        at those facilities;
            (9) a description of Department of Veterans Affairs 
        policies governing the prescribing of medications referred to 
        in paragraph (3);
            (10) any patterns apparent to the Secretary based on the 
        review; and
            (11) recommendations for further action that would improve 
        the safety and well-being of veterans.
    (b) Public Availability.--Not later than 30 days after the 
completion of the review required under subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall--
            (1) submit to Congress a report on the results of the 
        review; and
            (2) make such report publicly available.
    (c) Covered Veteran.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``covered veteran'' means any veteran who 
        received hospital care or medical services furnished by the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs during the five-year period 
        preceding the death of the veteran.
            (2) The term ``black box warning'' means a warning 
        displayed within a box in the prescribing information for drugs 
        that have special problems, particularly ones that may lead to 
        death or serious injury.
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