,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #afee  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #g1 #bjbe 
,ms4 ,duckworth introduced the following
 bill2 which was read twice and referred
 to the ,committee on ,veterans'        
,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to expand         
congressional oversight of the operation
 of the ,veterans ,crisis ,line of the  
,department of ,veterans ,affairs1 to   
improve workforce protections for all   
,veterans ,crisis ,line personnel1 and  
to ensure robust performance standards  
that fulfill the ,veterans ,crisis ,line
 mission and meet caller demand1 and for
 other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,protecting   
,veterans in ,crisis ,act4  #b4         
,oversight of ,veterans ,crisis ,line   
7a7 ,notification of pending termination
 of ,veterans ,crisis ,line employees   
7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #dh    
hours before terminating the employment 
of any employee of the ,veterans ,crisis
 ,line1 the ,secretary of ,veterans     

,affairs shall submit to the ,committee 
on ,veterans' ,affairs of the ,senate   
and the ,committee on ,veterans'        
,affairs of the ,house of               
,representatives a notification that    
provides--  7,a7 a justification of     
cause for such termination2  7,b7 a     
clarification on whether the employee is
 a veteran or military spouse2 and  7,c7
 a detailed plan to ensure continuity of
 the mission readiness of the ,veterans 
,crisis ,line in the event of such      
termination4  7#b7 ,sunset ,this        
subsection shall terminate on ,january  
#bj1 #bjbi4  7b7 ,report on ,veterans   
,crisis ,line personnel ,not later than 
#cj days after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall     
submit to the ,committee on ,veterans'  
,affairs and the ,committee on          
,appropriations of the ,senate and the  
,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs and   
the ,committee on ,appropriations of the
 ,house of ,representatives a report    
that includes the following3 7#a7 ,the  

number of employees working for the     
,veterans ,crisis ,line on ,january #bj1
 #bjbe1 which shall include a breakdown 
by job category1 probationary status1   
whether the employee is a veteran1      
whether the employee is a military      
spouse1 status of employment on the date
 of submission of the report1 and date  
of reinstatement4  7#b7 ,the number of  
employees terminated from the ,veterans 
,crisis ,line on or around ,february    
#ac1 #bjbe1 which shall include a       
breakdown by job category1 probationary 
status1 whether the employee is a       
veteran1 whether the employee is a      
military spouse1 status of employment on
 the date of submission of the report1  
and date of reinstatement4  7#c7 ,the   
number of employees terminated from the 
,veterans ,crisis ,line on or around    
,february #bd1 #bjbe1 which shall       
include a breakdown by job category1    
probationary status1 whether the        
employee is a veteran1 whether the      
employee is a military spouse1 status of

 employment on the date of submission of
 the report1 and date of reinstatement4 
7#d7 ,the number of employees working   
for the ,veterans ,crisis ,line on the  
date of submission of the report1 which 
shall include a breakdown by job        
category1 probationary status1 whether  
the employee is a veteran1 and whether  
the employee is a military spouse4  7c7 
,report on ,veterans ,crisis ,line      
operations and performance ,not later   
than #cj days after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 and every #cj   
days thereafter until ,january #bj1     
#bjbi1 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 that includes 
the following3  7#a7 ,an assessment of  
the performance of the ,veterans ,crisis
 ,line1 as compared to the previous     
month and the same month of the previous
 calendar year4  7#b7 ,average wait     
times for a caller to connect with an   

operator and the volume of unanswered   
calls4  7#c7 ,ratios of callers to phone
 operators1 both in-person and remote1  
trainers1 and all other positions       
affiliated with the ,veterans ,crisis   
,line4  7#d7 ,a report on resources used
 and outstanding4  7#e7 ,a staffing     
report broken down by job category4  7d7
 ,comptroller ,general report on        
improvements to ,veterans ,crisis ,line 
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall submit to the ,committee  
on ,veterans' ,affairs and the          
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate and
 the ,committee on ,veterans' ,affairs  
and the ,committee on ,energy and       
,commerce of the ,house of              
,representatives a report on the        
operation and performance of the        
,veterans ,crisis ,line1 including      
recommendations for improvement4  7e7   
,veterans ,crisis ,line defined ,in this

 section1 the term ,veterans ,crisis    
,line means the toll-free hotline for   
veterans established under section      
#agbj;,f7h7 of title #ch1 ,united       
,states ,code4