,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hjcc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,august #ad1         
#bjbj,mr4 ,brindisi 7for himself1 ,mr4  
,bost1 and ,mr4 ,banks7 introduced the  
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to improve the ability of   
veterans to access suicide prevention   
coordinators of the ,department of      
,veterans ,affairs4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,access  
to ,suicide ,prevention ,coordinators   
,act4  #b4 ,suicide prevention          
coordinators  7a7 ,staffing requirement 
,beginning not later than one year after
 the date of the enactment of this ,act1
 the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs   
shall-- 7#a7 ensure that each medical   
center of the ,department of ,veterans  
,affairs has no fewer than one full-time
 employee whose primary job             
responsibility is serving as a suicide  
prevention coordinator2  7#b7 ensure    
that all ,department medical centers    

report to the ,office of ,mental ,health
 and ,suicide ,prevention of the        
,department regarding their hiring plans
 to reach the number of recommended     
suicide prevention coordinators based on
 the current staffing model2 and  7#c7  
consider and implement findings from the
 assessment of the ,comptroller ,general
 of the ,united ,states of the          
responsibilities1 workload1 and vacancy 
rates for suicide prevention            
coordinators1 as required under section 
#b of the ,support for ,suicide         
,prevention ,coordinators ,act 7,public 
,law #aaf-if74  7b7 ,study on           
reorganization  7#a7 ,in general ,not   
later than one year after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary1 in consultation with the    
,office of ,mental ,health and ,suicide 
,prevention of the ,department1 shall   
commence the conduct of a study to      
determine the feasibility and           
advisability of-- 7,a7 the realignment  
and reorganization of suicide prevention

 coordinators within the ,office of     
,mental ,health and ,suicide            
,prevention2 and  7,b7 the creation of a
 suicide prevention coordinator program 
office4  7#b7 ,program office           
realignment ,in conducting the study    
under paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary    
shall assess the feasibility of         
advisability of1 within the suicide     
prevention coordinator program office   
described in paragraph 7#a77;,b71       
aligning suicide prevention coordinators
 and case managers within the           
organizational structure and chart of   
the ,suicide ,prevention ,program of the
 ,department1 with the ,director of the 
,suicide ,prevention program having     
ultimate supervisory oversight and      
responsibility over the suicide         
prevention coordinator program office4  
7c7 ,report ,not later than #ij days    
after the completion of the study under 
subsection 7b71 the ,secretary shall    
submit to the ,committee on ,veterans'  
,affairs of the ,senate and the         

,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs of the
 ,house of ,representatives a report on 
such study1 including the following3    
7#a7 ,an assessment of the feasibility  
and advisability of creating a suicide  
prevention coordinator program office to
 oversee and monitor suicide prevention 
coordinators and suicide prevention case
 managers across all medical centers of 
the ,department4  7#b7 ,a review of     
current staffing ratios for suicide     
prevention coordinators and suicide     
prevention case managers in comparison  
with current staffing ratios for mental 
health providers within each medical    
center of the ,department4  7#c7 ,a     
description of the duties and           
responsibilities for suicide prevention 
coordinators across the ,department to  
better define1 delineate1 and           
standardize qualifications1 performance 
goals1 performance duties1 and          
performance outcomes for suicide        
prevention coordinators and suicide     
prevention case managers4