Today, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, announced that the bipartisan Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act has been signed into law. The legislation, which is sponsored by Sen. Moran and passed Senate on Feb. 3, 2015, and the U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 12, 2015, will provide critical measures to improve mental health care and increase suicide prevention resources for American service members.
"Today is a monumental day for our nation's veterans. The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act will be instrumental in developing a VA system capable of offering first-rate mental health care services, as well as utilizing the expertise of outside organizations to provide support for those struggling with the invisible wounds of war," Sen. Moran said. "As this law goes into effect, I am hopeful that families who have lost loved ones may take comfort in knowing the VA is committed to suicide prevention. I am proud to have sponsored this legislation and will keep working to find solutions and to hold the VA accountable when it comes to providing our nation's veterans with the timely, high-quality and specialized care they earned."