,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bbhc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #bd1     
#bjba ,mr4 ,tester 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,moran7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  ,a  
,,bill  ,to improve the ,veterans       
,crisis ,line of the ,department of     
,veterans ,affairs1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title2 table of   
contents  7a7 ,short title ,this ,act   
may be cited as the ,revising and       
,expediting ,actions for the ,crisis    
,hotline for ,veterans ,act or the      
,,reach for ,veterans ,act4  7b7 ,table 
of contents ,the table of contents for  
this ,act is as follows3  ,sec4 #a4     
,short title2 table of contents4 ,sec4  
#b4 ,definitions4 ,,title ,i--,veterans 
,crisis ,line training and quality      
management ,subtitle ,a--,staff training
 ,sec4 #aja4 ,review of training for    
,veterans ,crisis ,line call responders4
 ,sec4 #ajb4 ,retraining guidelines for 

,veterans ,crisis ,line call responders4
 ,subtitle ,b--,quality review and      
management ,sec4 #aaa4 ,monitoring of   
calls on ,veterans ,crisis ,line4 ,sec4 
#aab4 ,quality management processes for 
,veterans ,crisis ,line4 ,sec4 #aac4    
,annual common cause analysis for       
callers to ,veterans ,crisis ,line who  
die by suicide4 ,subtitle ,c--,guidance 
for high-,risk callers ,sec4 #aba4      
,development of enhanced guidance and   
procedures for response to calls related
 to substance use and overdose risk4    
,sec4 #abb4 ,review and improvement of  
standards for emergency dispatch4       
,subtitle ,d--,oversight and            
clarification of staff roles and        
responsibilites ,sec4 #aca4 ,oversight  
of training of social service assistants
 and clarification of job               
responsibilities4 ,,title ,,ii--,pilot  
programs and research on ,veterans      
,crisis ,line ,subtitle ,a--,pilot      
programs ,sec4 #bja4 ,extended safety   
planning pilot program for ,veterans    

,crisis ,line4 ,sec4 #bjb4 ,crisis line 
facilitation pilot program4 ,subtitle   
,b--,research on effectiveness ,sec4    
#baa4 ,authorization of appropriations  
for research on effectiveness and       
opportunities for improvement of        
,veterans ,crisis ,line4 ,,title        
,,iii--,transition of crisis line number
 ,sec4 #cja4 ,feedback on transition of 
crisis line number4  #b4 ,definitions   
,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,department ,the    
term ,department means the ,department  
of ,veterans ,affairs4  7#b7 ,secretary 
,the term ,secretary means the          
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs4  7#c7 
,veterans ,crisis ,line the term        
,veterans ,crisis ,line means the       
toll-free hotline for veterans          
established under section #agbj;,f7h7 of
 title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code4  ,i  
,veterans ,crisis ,line training and    
quality management  ,a ,staff training  
#aja4 ,review of training for ,veterans 
,crisis ,line call responders  7a7 ,in  
general ,the ,secretary shall enter into

 an agreement with an organization      
outside the ,department1 such as the    
,american ,association of ,suicidology1 
to review the training for ,veterans    
,crisis ,line call responders on        
assisting callers in crisis4  7b7       
,completion of review ,the review       
conducted under subsection 7a7 shall be 
completed not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act4 
7c7 ,elements of review ,the review     
conducted under subsection 7a7 shall    
consist of a review of the training     
provided by the ,department on subjects 
including risk assessment1 lethal means 
assessment1 substance use and overdose  
risk assessment1 safety planning1       
referrals to care1 supervisory          
consultation1 and emergency dispatch4   
7d7 ,update of training ,if any         
deficiencies in the training for        
,veterans ,crisis ,line call responders 
are found pursuant to the review under  
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall    
update such training and associated     

standards of practice to correct those  
deficiencies not later than one year    
after the completion of the review4     
#ajb4 ,retraining guidelines for        
,veterans ,crisis ,line call responders 
7a7 ,in general ,not later than one year
 after the date of the enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,secretary shall develop     
guidelines on retraining and quality    
management for when a ,veterans ,crisis 
,line call responder has an adverse     
event or when a quality review check by 
a supervisor of such a call responder   
denotes that the call responder needs   
improvement4  7b7 ,elements of          
guidelines ,the guidelines developed    
under subsection 7a7 shall specify the  
subjects and quantity of retraining     
recommended and how supervisors should  
implement increased use of silent       
monitoring or other performance review  
mechanisms4  ,b ,quality review and     
management  #aaa4 ,monitoring of calls  
on ,veterans ,crisis ,line  7a7 ,in     
general ,the ,secretary shall require   

that not fewer than two calls per month 
for each ,veterans ,crisis ,line call   
responder be subject to supervisory     
silent monitoring1 which is used to     
monitor the quality of conduct by such  
call responder during the call4  7b7    
,benchmarks ,the ,secretary shall       
establish benchmarks for requirements   
and performance of ,veterans ,crisis    
,line call responders on supervisory    
silent monitored calls4  7c7 ,quarterly 
reports ,not less frequently than       
quarterly1 the ,secretary shall submit  
to the ,office of ,mental ,health and   
,suicide ,prevention of the ,department 
of ,veterans ,affairs a report on       
occurrence and outcomes of supervisory  
silent monitoring of calls on the       
,veterans ,crisis ,line4  #aab4 ,quality
 management processes for ,veterans     
,crisis ,line ,not later than one year  
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the leadership for the ,veterans  
,crisis ,line1 in partnership with the  
,office of ,mental ,health and ,suicide 

,prevention of the ,department and the  
,national ,center for ,patient ,safety  
of the ,department1 shall establish     
quality management processes and        
expectations for staff of the ,veterans 
,crisis ,line1 including with respect to
 reporting of adverse events and close  
calls4  #aac4 ,annual common cause      
analysis for callers to ,veterans       
,crisis ,line who die by suicide  7a7   
,in general ,not less frequently than   
annually1 the ,secretary shall perform a
 common cause analysis for all          
identified callers to the ,veterans     
,crisis ,line that died by suicide      
during the one-year period preceding the
 conduct of the analysis before the     
caller received contact with emergency  
services and in which the ,veterans     
,crisis ,line was the last point of     
contact4  7b7 ,submittal of results ,the
 ,secretary shall submit to the ,office 
of ,mental ,health and ,suicide         
,prevention of the ,department the      
results of each analysis conducted under

 subsection 7a74  7c7 ,application of   
themes or lessons ,the ,secretary shall 
apply any themes or lessons learned     
under an analysis under subsection 7a7  
to updating training and standards of   
practice for staff of the ,veterans     
,crisis ,line4  ,c ,guidance for        
high-,risk callers  #aba4 ,development  
of enhanced guidance and procedures for 
response to calls related to substance  
use and overdose risk ,not later than   
one year after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act1 the ,secretary1 in       
consultation with national experts      
within the ,department on substance use 
disorder and overdose1 shall--  7#a7    
develop enhanced guidance and procedures
 to respond to calls to the ,veterans   
,crisis ,line related to substance use  
and overdose risk2  7#b7 update training
 materials for staff of the ,veterans   
,crisis ,line in response to such       
enhanced guidance and procedures2 and   
7#c7 update criteria for monitoring     
compliance with such enhanced guidance  

and procedures4  #abb4 ,review and      
improvement of standards for emergency  
dispatch  7a7 ,in general ,not later    
than one year after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall--  7#a7 review the current        
emergency dispatch standard operating   
procedure of the ,veterans ,crisis ,line
 to identify any additions to such      
procedure to strengthen communication   
regarding-- 7,a7 emergency dispatch for 
disconnected callers2 and  7,b7 the role
 of social service assistants in        
requesting emergency dispatch and       
recording such dispatches2 and  7#b7    
update such procedure to include the    
additions identified under paragraph    
7#a74  7b7 ,training ,the ,secretary    
shall ensure that all staff of the      
,veterans ,crisis ,line are trained on  
all updates made under subsection       
7a77#b7 to the emergency dispatch       
standard operating procedure of the     
,veterans ,crisis ,line4  ,d ,oversight 
and clarification of staff roles and    

responsibilites  #aca4 ,oversight of    
training of social service assistants   
and clarification of job                
responsibilities ,not later than one    
year after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary shall--  7#a7 
establish oversight mechanisms to ensure
 that social service assistants and     
supervisory social service assistants   
working with the ,veterans ,crisis ,line
 are appropriately trained and          
implementing guidance of the ,department
 regarding the ,veterans ,crisis ,line2 
and  7#b7 refine standard operating     
procedures to delineate roles and       
responsibilities for all levels of      
supervisory social service assistants   
working with the ,veterans ,crisis      
,line4  ,,ii ,pilot programs and        
research on ,veterans ,crisis ,line  ,a 
,pilot programs  #bja4 ,extended safety 
planning pilot program for ,veterans    
,crisis ,line  7a7 ,in general          
,commencing not later than #ahj days    
after the date of the enactment of this 

,act1 the ,secretary shall carry out a  
pilot program to determine whether a    
lengthier1 templated safety plan used in
 clinical settings could be applied in  
call centers for the ,veterans ,crisis  
,line4  7b7 ,briefing ,not later than   
two years after the date of the         
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall brief ,congress on the findings of
 the ,secretary under the pilot program 
under subsection 7a71 including such    
recommendations as the ,secretary may   
have for continuation or discontinuation
 of the pilot program4  #bjb4 ,crisis   
line facilitation pilot program  7a7 ,in
 general ,commencing not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary shall carry   
out a pilot program on the use of crisis
 line facilitation to increase use of   
the ,veterans ,crisis ,line among       
high-risk veterans4  7b7 ,briefing ,not 
later than two years after the date of  
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary shall brief ,congress on the 

findings of the ,secretary under the    
pilot program under subsection 7a71     
including such recommendations as the   
,secretary may have for continuation or 
discontinuation of the pilot program4   
7c7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 
,crisis line facilitation ,the term     
crisis line facilitation1 with respect  
to a high-risk veteran1 means the       
presentation by a therapist of          
psychoeducational information about the 
,veterans ,crisis ,line and a discussion
 of the perceived barriers and          
facilitators to future use of the       
,veterans ,crisis ,line for the veteran1
 which culminates in the veteran calling
 the ,veterans ,crisis ,line with the   
therapist to provide firsthand          
experiences that may counter negative   
impressions of the ,veterans ,crisis    
,line4  7#b7 ,high-risk veteran ,the    
term high-risk veteran means a veteran  
receiving inpatient mental health care  
following a suicidal crisis4  ,b        
,research on effectiveness  #baa4       

,authorization of appropriations for    
research on effectiveness and           
opportunities for improvement of        
,veterans ,crisis ,line ,there is       
authorized to be appropriated to the    
,secretary #e1jjj1jjj for the ,mental   
,illness ,research1 ,education1 and     
,clinical ,centers of the ,department to
 conduct research on the effectiveness  
of the ,veterans ,crisis ,line and areas
 for improvement for the ,veterans      
,crisis ,line4  ,,iii ,transition of    
crisis line number  #cja4 ,feedback on  
transition of crisis line number  7a7   
,in general ,the ,secretary shall       
solicit feedback from veterans service  
organizations on how to conduct outreach
 to members of the ,armed ,forces1      
veterans1 their family members1 and     
other members of the military and       
veterans community on the move to #ihh  
as the new1 national three-digit suicide
 and mental health crisis hotline1 which
 is expected to be implemented by ,july 
#bjbb1 to minimize confusion and ensure 

veterans are aware of their options for 
reaching the ,veterans ,crisis ,line4   
7b7 ,nonapplication of ,,faca ,the      
,federal ,advisory ,committee ,act 7#e  
,u4,s4,c4 ,app47 shall not apply to any 
feedback solicited under subsection 7a74
  7c7 ,veterans service organization    
defined ,in this section1 the term      
veterans service organization means an  
organization recognized by the          
,secretary for the representation of    
veterans under section #eijb of title   
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code4