Kuster Applauds House Passage of Bill to Help Prevent Veteran Suicides

U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, NH-02, recently applauded House passage of theClay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, which she cosponsored.

The Clay Hunt Act will provide oversight at the DOD and VA to help ensure all veterans can access the comprehensive mental health services they need. Kuster helped introduce the Clay Hunt Act last year after the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, on which she serves, uncovered instances of mismanagement and delayed care at VA centers across the country.

“Many of our service members undergo extremely traumatic experiences while serving and protecting our nation, and we must ensure they have access to the mental health services they need when they return home,” said Kuster. “No veteran should ever have to wait for this type of care, which can be just as crucial for recovery as physical health services. I was proud to help introduce this legislation last year, and I urge the Senate to swiftly pass this bill into law so we can do right by our veterans and increase access to the high-quality care they deserve.”

The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act is named after Clay Hunt, an Afghanistan and Iraq war veteran who faced barriers to receiving mental health care at the VA, and whose Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome tragically led to his suicide. In his honor, the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Actwill implement a comprehensive, community-based approach to suicide prevention among former service members, and will increase oversight at the VA. The bill will require a third party to annually evaluate both the Department of Defense and the VA mental health and suicide prevention programs, and it will require the VA to develop an interactive website for mental health services that is integrated with the National Guard Bureau. The bill also addresses the deficiency of mental health professionals at the VA by creating an education loan repayment pilot program to recruit new practitioners to the VA.

As a Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Kuster helped lead the investigation into mismanagement at the VA last year. She was one of the first Members of the Committee to call for the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, and last year she helped pass into law a bipartisan, comprehensive reform bill to completely overhaul the VA and help ensure every veteran can access timely, high-quality medical care. Kuster continues to hold a series of meetings and roundtables with veterans and veteran service organizations across the Second District to ensure the new reform bill is meeting its intended goals.

Submitted text and courtesy photo.