Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Veterans Suicide Prevention and Care Enhancement Act of 2024”.
Veterans Suicide Prevention and Care Enhancement Act of 2024
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a list of covered providers that complete annual training on the prevention of suicide among veterans and to make such list available to veterans.
Sec. 2 Establishment of preferred provider list for veterans community care program of the department of veterans affairs
In general— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall make available to covered providers annual, evidence-based training on the prevention of suicide among veterans.
Preferred provider list—
In general— The Secretary shall—
establish and maintain a list (to be known as the “preferred provider list”) of each covered provider that completes the training under subsection (a); and
make such list publicly available to veterans eligible for health care under the laws administered by the Secretary.
Non-department training— The Secretary shall include on the preferred provider list any covered provider that the Secretary determines has completed training that—
is substantially similar to the training required by such subsection; and
meets the applicable competency standard for military health care professionals.
Opt-out— A covered provider desiring to be removed from the preferred provider list may submit to the Secretary a request in such form, at such time, and containing such information as the Secretary determines appropriate.
Annual review— The Secretary shall, on an annual basis, review the preferred provider list to ensure each covered provider included on such list has completed such training.
Covered provider defined— In this section, the term “covered provider” means—
a health care provider specified in subsection (c) of section 1703 of title 38, United States Code; and
an eligible entity or medical provider that has entered into a Veterans Care Agreement under section 1703A of such title.
Sec. 3 Report
In general— Not later than 180 days after the day of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the following:
The number of providers who completed the VA-offered suicide prevention training prior to the implementation of the Preferred Provider List outline in Sec. 2(b).
The number of Community Care Network providers who completed a different suicide prevention training not offered by the VA prior to the implementation of the Preferred Provider List.
The number of providers currently on the Preferred Provider List, bifurcated by those who utilized the VA-offered suicide prevention training and those providers who received the waiver outlined in Sec. 2(b)(2).
The likelihood of veterans utilizing providers on the Preferred Provider List rather than a provider not found on the Preferred Provider List.
Any patterns apparent to the Secretary based on the review of the implementation of the Preferred Provider List.
Any recommendations for further action that would improve and enhance the Preferred Provider List with the objective of increasing access to care for veterans.
Appropriate congressional committees defined— In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives; and
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate.