House Passes No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act

Press Release

Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, announced that last night the House passed the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act (H.R. 5392) by a vote of 357 to 0.

The No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act (H.R. 5392) is bipartisan legislation that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a management plan for the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL); a suicide hotline for veterans. The legislation also requires the VA to develop a plan to ensure that each and every communication received by the VCL, including backup call centers, is answered individually in a timely manner, consistent with the guidance established by the American Association of Suicidology, which mandates that crisis center responders be available to answer a dedicated phone number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Earlier this year, a VA Office of Inspector General report found that over 20 crisis calls to the VCL operated by the VA in 2014 were transferred to a backup call center voicemail system and the calls were never returned. Currently, a loophole allows for calls to be transferred to a backup center, which are allowed to place callers on hold and utilize voicemail.

Congressman Lee Zeldin said, "I strongly supported the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act, which passed the House with great bipartisan support. There is absolutely no reason that a struggling veteran who calls the suicide hotline should ever be sent to voicemail, especially since the VA receives tens of billions of dollars each year for veterans' health. This legislation will ensure that the VA better manages the VCL so that each and every veteran who contacts the hotline receives a timely response. Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country and in their time of need, they deserve to receive the best possible care."

In March 2016, Congressman Zeldin proposed another legislative fix, which passed the House, to ensure that veterans receive immediate assistance from a trained professional when they call the VCL. You can read more here.

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