[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1139 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1139
To amend the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care
Improvement Act of 2019 to modify and reauthorize the Staff Sergeant
Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 26, 2025
Mr. Moran introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care
Improvement Act of 2019 to modify and reauthorize the Staff Sergeant
Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Helping Optimize Prevention and
Engagement for Heroes Act of 2025'' or the ``HOPE for Heroes Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. MODIFICATIONS TO AND REAUTHORIZATION OF THE STAFF SERGEANT
PARKER GORDON FOX SUICIDE PREVENTION GRANT PROGRAM OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Coordination by Secretary.--Subsection (b) of section 201 of
the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement
Act of 2019 (38 U.S.C. 1720F note; Public Law 116-171) is amended, in
the second sentence, by striking ``the Office of Mental Health and
Suicide Prevention'' and inserting ``the Assistant Under Secretary for
Health for Clinical Services''.
(b) Use of Grant Funds.--Subsection (c) of such section is
amended--
(1) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``; Use of
Grant Funds'' after ``Grants'';
(2) in paragraph (2)(A)--
(A) by striking ``a maximum'' and inserting
``except as provided in paragraph (3), a maximum''; and
(B) by striking ``$750,000'' and inserting
``$1,000,000''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
``(3) Additional amounts.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary may award amounts
to a grantee in addition to the maximum amount under
paragraph (2)(A) based on a performance-based metric
established by the Secretary.
``(B) Performance.--The performance-based metric
established under subparagraph (A) with respect to a
grantee shall be based on the number of individuals who
go through the intake process to receive suicide
prevention services from the grantee under this
section.
``(C) Limit.--The additional amount authorized
under subparagraph (A) may not exceed $500,000 per
grantee per fiscal year.
``(4) Use of grant funds.--For any grant awarded under this
section--
``(A) not more than 30 percent of the grant funds
may be spent on administrative costs; and
``(B) not more than five percent of the grant funds
may be spent on food and beverages.''.
(c) Coordination by Grant Recipients.--Subsection (e)(3) of such
section is amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and (C) as
subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following new
subparagraph (B):
``(B) coordinate with the Secretary to develop a
plan for communication between the entity and local
suicide prevention coordinators regarding whether
veterans receiving assistance under this section from
the entity are attending appointments to ensure
continuity of care;''.
(d) Training and Technical Assistance.--Subsection (g) of such
section is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ``, including
training on how to properly use the Columbia Protocol (also
known as the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS))''
after ``management''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(3) Training for department employees.--The Secretary
shall provide training to employees of the Department on the
grant program under this section.''.
(e) Briefing for Local VAMCs.--Subsection (h) of such section is
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(5) Briefing for local vamcs.--Not less frequently than
once per calendar quarter, the Secretary shall provide, to the
appropriate personnel of each medical center of the Department
located not more than 100 miles from the primary location of a
recipient of a grant under this section, a briefing about the
grant program under this section in order to improve
coordination between such recipient and personnel.''.
(f) Duration.--Subsection (j) of such section is amended by
striking ``the date that is three years after the date on which the
first grant is awarded under this section'' and inserting ``September
30, 2030''.
(g) Interim Report.--Subsection (k)(1)(B) of such section is
amended by adding at the end the following new clause:
``(xiii) A description of the Secretary's
compliance with the requirement to train
employees of the Department under subsection
(g)(3).''.
(h) Emergent Suicide Care.--Subsection (n) of such section is
amended--
(1) by striking ``When the Secretary'' and inserting the
following:
``(1) In general.--When the Secretary''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(2) Emergent suicide care.--If the Secretary does not
provide mental health or behavioral health care services under
paragraph (1) to an eligible individual during the 72-hour
period following a referral under subsection (m), such eligible
individual shall be treated as eligible for emergent suicide
care under section 1720J of title 38, United States Code.''.
(i) Reauthorization.--Subsection (p) of such section is amended by
striking ``2025'' and inserting ``2030''.
(j) Technical Correction to Definitions.--Subsection (q)(5) of such
section is amended, in the first sentence--
(1) by striking ``Medical services'' and inserting ``The
term `emergency treatment' means medical services''; and
(2) by striking ``was rendered'' and inserting
``rendered''.
(k) Definition of Risk of Suicide.--Subsection (q)(8)(A) of such
section is amended by striking ``any of the following (to a degree
determined by the Secretary pursuant to regulations)'' and inserting
``any of the following health, environmental, or historical risk
factors (to any degree)''.
(l) Suicide Prevention Services.--
(1) Required use of certain screening protocol.--Subsection
(q)(11)(A)(ii) of such section is amended by adding at the end
the following new sentence: ``In the case of a recipient of a
grant awarded under this section on or after the date of the
enactment of the Helping Optimize Prevention and Engagement for
Heroes Act of 2025, such screening shall be the Columbia
Protocol (also known as the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating
Scale (C-SSRS)).''.
(2) Transportation.--Subsection (q)(11)(A) of such section
is amended--
(A) by redesignating clause (xi) as clause (xii);
and
(B) by inserting after clause (x) the following new
clause:
``(xi) Transportation and rideshare
services for eligible individuals to use for
appointments.''.
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