Tuesday, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the bipartisan Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act by a vote of 99 to 0. The legislation, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 12, will provide measures to improve mental health care and increase suicide prevention resources for American service members.
It will now head to the president’s desk for his signature.
The act, introduced by U.S. Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), will require third-party evaluation of existing suicide prevention programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ mental health care and suicide prevention programs, establish two three-year pilot program to improve mental health care at the VA, and extend eligibility for VA medical care by one year for illnesses for combat veterans released from active duty in 2009 or 2010.
“This will lay the foundation for improved mental health care and better suicide prevention resources for soldiers returning from combat, services that they deserve in return for their sacrifice,” McCain said.
It will also provide for a new website that offers veterans information regarding available mental healthcare services; create a pilot loan repayment program for VA psychiatrists; and improve the exchange of training, best practices, and other resources among the VA, Veteran Service Organizations, and nonprofit mental health organizations to enhance collaboration of suicide prevention efforts.
“The act will be instrumental in developing a VA system capable of offering first-rate mental health care services, as well as utilizing the expertise of outside organizations to provide support for those struggling with the invisible wounds of war,” said Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. “It is critical that the VA follow through on its commitment to our nation’s veterans – especially so families who have lost loved ones may take comfort in knowing the VA is committed to suicide prevention.”
Fellow Kansas Senator Pat Roberts also backed the legislation.
The bill was named for Clay Hunt, a Marine veteran who committed suicide in March 2011 at the age of 28. Hunt enlisted in the Marine Corps in May 2005 and deployed to Anbar Province, near Fallujah, in January 2007. He was shot in the wrist by a sniper’s bullet that barely missed his head, earning him a Purple Heart.
Hunt recuperated at Twenty Nine Palms, Calif., and then graduated from Marine Corps Scout Sniper School in March 2008. He redeployed to southern Afghanistan a few weeks later.
His unit returned in late October 2008 and he was honorably discharged from the Marines in April 2009. After returning home, Clay suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for many years and struggled with inadequate care at his local VA hospital before taking his own life.
The legislation is supported by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.