{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://millermeeks.house.gov/media/press-releases/miller-meeks-delgado-mann-sherrill-introduce-bipartisan-and-bicameral", "Miller-Meeks, Delgado, Mann, Sherrill Introduce Bipartisan and Bicameral Legislation to Improve Veterans Crisis Line", "2021-08-26", "2021", "2021-08", "Republican", "House", "IA", "Mariannette Miller-Meeks", "M001215", "millermeeks.house.gov", "millermeeks", "https://millermeeks.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014Today, August 26th, 2021, Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02), Antonio Delgado (NY-19), Tracey Mann (KS-01), and Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) announced bipartisan legislation to improve the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL). The Revising and Expediting Actions for the Crisis Hotline (REACH) for Veterans Act would implement key improvements in staff training and management. The bill also facilitates the VCL\u2019s transition to 9-8-8 as part of the national suicide prevention hotline.\n\nThis legislation is the House companion to legislation introduced by Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee.\n\n\u201cOur veterans deserve the highest quality care at all times. The Veterans Crisis Line is a critical tool to helping our veterans in their time of need,\u201d said Miller-Meeks. \u201cBeing able to work with the amazing Veterans Service Organizations and other stakeholders around the country to develop updated training guidelines will better serve all of our veterans. I am proud to partner with Representatives Delgado, Mann, and Sherrill to revamp this important resource for our veterans.\u201d\n\n\u201cCongress has made meaningful improvements to the Veterans Crisis Line in recent years, but more can be done. Our brave veterans deserve the highest level of support,\u201d said Delgado. \u201cThis bipartisan and bicameral legislation would implement critical recommendations made by the Office of Inspector General to better serve veterans, servicemembers, National Guard and Reserve, and their families. I am proud to lead this effort alongside Senators Tester and Moran and my colleagues in the House. Let's get this done.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur military veterans dedicated their lives to protecting our country, and they deserve first-rate resources,\u201d said Mann. \u201cThe REACH for Veterans Act would improve the Veterans Crisis Line \u2013 enhancing staff training, establishing new response programs, and evaluating process management. I\u2019m pleased to join Representative Delgado, my Kansas colleague Senator Moran, and many other colleagues on this bipartisan, bicameral effort. As a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, I will continue to advocate for the highest quality of care for our nation\u2019s heroes.\u201d\n\n\u201cNever has veteran mental health support been more critical than today,\u201d said Sherrill. \u201cIn addition to the ongoing challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, our withdrawal from Afghanistan and the subsequent struggle to safely evacuate our fellow citizens and Afghan allies has been a real challenge to process for many of our veterans. It\u2019s exacerbated a struggle that is very real for too many of them every, single day. The Veterans Crisis Line acts as both the first and last line of defense to save veterans in crisis, and the improvements included in the REACH for Veterans Act ensures they get the highest quality of service possible.\u201d\n\nTo read the full text of the legislation, click HERE.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe REACH for Veterans Act would:\n\nRequire an outside evaluation of VCL\u2019s current training curriculum\n\nDirect the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to issue re-training guidance for call responders\n\nIncrease the quality review and management over VCL calls and processes\n\nImprove responder guidance for high-risk callers\n\nEstablish pilot programs to improve VCL services.\n\nThe bill would also facilitate the transition to 9-8-8 as the national suicide prevention hotline, with more guidance from Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) and other stakeholders. These changes are based on recommendations made by the VA\u2019s Inspector General in a series of reports published over the previous 12 months.\n\nThe REACH for Veterans Act is endorsed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, National Board for Certified Counselors, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Wounded Warrior Project.\n\n\u201cVeteran suicide prevention must be a national priority,\u201d said Laurel Stine, J.D., Senior Vice President for Public Policy of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). \u201cAFSP applauds Representatives Delgado, Mann, Sherrill, and Miller-Meeks for ensuring the Veterans Crisis Line has the capacity to respond to callers as effectively as possible. When Veterans call 9-8-8, they should receive quick, appropriate crisis care, and we urge Congress to pass the Revising and Expediting Actions for the Crisis Hotline (REACH) for Veterans Act.\u201d\n\n\u201cAddressing veteran mental health through preventative action is vital to decreasing the veteran suicide rate,\u201d said Chanin Nuntavong, Executive Director of The American Legion. \u201cThe Veteran Crisis Line serves as a tool for suicidal veterans to get the mental health assistance they need. Unfortunately, bureaucratic inadequacies have made the VCL ineffective at times. This is why The American Legion supports the REACH for Veterans Act. This legislation strengthens the transition to 9-8-8 as the national suicide prevention hotline by requiring VA to issue re-training guidance for VCL responders and mandating VA get feedback from VSOs on VA outreach during the move to 9-8-8.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Veterans Crisis Line has helped hundreds of thousands of veterans access mental health services and mitigate suicide risk and is an incredibly important tool for veterans who are struggling,\u201d said Andrew Marshall, National Commander of Disabled American Veterans (DAV). \u201cDAV is proud to support the REACH for Veterans Act, which aims to further improve the effectiveness of the VCL through systematic review, training, and ongoing monitoring. Veterans need and deserve a safe, accessible means of seeking immediate help in times of crisis, and we thank Representatives Delgado, Mann, Sherrill, and Miller-Meeks for sponsoring this legislation and making a steadfast commitment in the fight against veteran suicide.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn 2007, VA established the Veterans Crisis Line,\u201d said Tammy Barlet, the National Legislative Service Associate Director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). \u201cThis hotline provides 24/7 confidential call, text, or chat crisis intervention and suicide prevention for veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve, and their families. Eliminating suicide among our nation\u2019s veterans is a priority of the VFW, which is why we support H.R. 5073, REACH for Veterans Act of 2021. This bill would provide oversight of VCL staffing, training, and processes, an extended safety planning pilot program, and research funding for improvements. In addition, the VFW looks forward to working with Congress and VA in the rollout of the upcoming national 3-digit suicide and mental health crisis hotline\u2013\u20139-8-8.\u201d\n\n\u201cWounded Warrior Project was pleased to work with Congress last year on passage of legislation that makes 9-8-8 the universal telephone number for national suicide prevention,\u201d said Jose Ramos, Vice President of Government and Community Relations for the Wounded Warrior Project. \u201cAs 9-8-8 will make lifesaving resources more accessible for veterans in crisis, it is vital the Veterans Crisis Line is prepared to meet the transition. That\u2019s why the Wounded Warrior Project supports the REACH for Veterans Act, which would make improvements to staff training, quality review and management, and guidance for high-risk calls. We applaud Reps. Antonio Delgado (D-NY-19), Tracey Mann (R-KS-01), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-02) for their leadership and look forward to working with the Committee to see it passed.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:11:17Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://millermeeks.house.gov/media/press-releases/miller-meeks-delgado-mann-sherrill-introduce-bipartisan-and-bicameral"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6033039428293705, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}