,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hagc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #d1 #bjbj 
,mr4 ,mc,adams 7for himself1 ,mr4       
,cisneros1 and ,mr4 ,tipton7 introduced 
the following bill2 which was referred  
to the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs
  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary  
of ,veterans ,affairs to conduct a study
 on the connection between living at    
high altitude and suicide risk factors  
among veterans4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,,va ,high     
,altitude and ,suicide ,research ,act4  
#b4 ,study on connection between living 
at high altitude and suicide risk       
factors among veterans  7a7 ,in general 
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 in    
consultation with ,rural ,health        
,resource ,centers of the ,office of    
,rural ,health of the ,department of    
,veterans ,affairs1 shall commence the  
conduct of a study on the connection    

between living at high altitude and the 
risk of developing depression or dying  
by suicide among veterans4  7b7         
,completion of study ,the study         
conducted under subsection 7a7 shall be 
completed not later than three years    
after the date of the commencement of   
the study4  7c7 ,individual impact ,the 
study conducted under subsection 7a7    
shall be conducted so as to determine   
the effect of high altitude on suicide  
risk at the individual level1 not at the
 ,state or county level1 controlling for
 potential confounders including with   
respect to age1 sex1 mental health      
status1 and access to firearms4  7d7    
,report ,not later than #aej days after 
the completion of the study conducted   
under subsection 7a71 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 the results of the study4  7e7      
,follow-,up study  7#a7 ,in general ,if 

the ,secretary determines through the   
study conducted under subsection 7a7    
that living at high altitude is a risk  
factor for developing depression or     
dying by suicide1 the ,secretary shall  
conduct an additional study to identify 
the following3  7,a7 ,the most likely   
biological mechanism that makes living  
at high altitude a risk factor for      
developing depression or dying by       
suicide4  7,b7 ,the most effective      
treatment or intervention for reducing  
the risk of developing depression or    
dying by suicide associated with living 
at high altitude4  7#b7 ,report ,not    
later than #aej days after completing   
the study conducted under paragraph     
7#a71 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 the results
 of the study4