Ayotte Cosponsors Bill to Improve Oversight of Veterans Crisis Hotline

Press Release

Recently, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte cosponsored the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act (S. 3304) to reform and provide oversight for the VA crisis hotline. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Inspector General (IG) and the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) have identified significant deficiencies with the performance and management of the VA Veterans Crisis Line (VCL).

"Our brave men and women in uniform answered the call of duty to defend our freedom. Similarly, when a veteran reaches out, it is our solemn obligation to ensure their call does not go unanswered," said Senator Ayotte. "This legislation would direct the VA to implement progress reports to improve the responsiveness and performance of the hotline. Further, it would require that these calls be answered promptly by a live person, thereby making sure that every veteran is heard. New Hampshire and our nation's veterans deserve better, and I will keep up my work to hold the VA accountable."

GAO found that the VCL's performance was substandard, noting that a majority of text message inquiries went unanswered and more than a quarter of calls to the hotline were not answered within a minute. S. 3304 would require the VA Secretary to implement a quality assurance plan that includes measurable objectives in order to improve the response time and performance of the call center. In addition, the bill would require the VA to guarantee that every form of communication to the hotline and backup centers would be answered by a live individual.

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