Bipartisan Veterans Suicide Prevention Legislation Introduced by Duckworth Passes Senate and is Headed to President's Desk for Signature

Press Release

Today, the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (Clay Hunt SAV) Act, introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (IL-08), Tim Walz (D-MN) and Jeff Miller (R-FL) passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 99-0. The bill, which helps prevent Veteran suicide and ensures our nation's heroes receive the care and support they deserve, was introduced in the Senate by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). The SAV Act passed the House in January by a vote of 403 -- 0 and will now head to the President's desk for signature.

The legislation is named in honor of the late Iraq and Afghanistan War Veteran Clay Hunt, who helped countless Veterans overcome their demons. Hunt tragically took his own life in March of 2011.

"There are over 2 million post-9/11 Veterans across the country, and this number will only increase as our military force structure continues to draw down," said Duckworth. "As the nature of war changes, the injuries our warriors sustain also change. Increasingly, theirs are invisible wounds, which do not have a simple treatment and do not always manifest immediately."

"Just as these Veterans remained faithful to our country on the battlefield, it is our turn as their Representatives to remain faithful to them. This responsibility includes ensuring that when our service men and women make the brave decision to seek help, they get the quality assistance and treatment they deserve in a timely manner. I am proud that this bipartisan legislation passed the U.S. Senate and I look forward to its implementation."

The Clay Hunt SAV Act will quell this growing epidemic by:

Increasing Access to Mental Health Care and Capacity at VA to Meet Demand

Requires the VA to create a one-stop, interactive website to serve as a centralized source of information regarding all VA mental health services for Veterans.

Addresses the shortage of mental health care professionals by authorizing the VA to conduct a student loan repayment pilot program aimed at recruiting and retaining psychiatrists.

Improving the Quality of Care and Boosting Accountability at VA

Requires a yearly evaluation of all mental health care and suicide prevention practices and programs at the VA to find out what's working and what's not working and make recommendations to improve care.
Developing a Community Support System for Veterans

Establishes a peer support and community outreach pilot program to assist transitioning service members with accessing VA mental health care services.

Source