{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/article/bill-that-supports-troops-is-now-the-law", "Bill that Supports Troops is Now the Law", "2014-12-24", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bill that Supports Troops is Now the Law\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Wednesday, December 24, 2014\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            It\u2019s popular for members of Congress to say that they \u201csupport the troops,\u201d but backing those words with thoughtful, meaningful action is what really matters.\r\nThe passage of the Jacob Sexton Military Suicide Act of 2014 promises real assistance to members of the military, putting the focus on helping them get mental health support and reducing military suicides. On Friday, President Obama signed the bill, which is part of the National Defense Authorization Act.\r\nThe bill is the second version of a measure introduced last year by Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly. Donnelly\u2019s commitment to preventing suicide among military members \u2014 and his hard work in support of those who serve in general \u2014 has been unwavering.\r\nNamed for a National Guardsman from Farmland, Ind., who shot himself to death while on leave in 2009, the bill requires annual, face-to-face mental health assessments for all active duty, reserve and National Guard service members. Currently, the military focuses mental health services on deploying and returning troops, even though research indicates that suicide is more common among soldiers who never deploy.\r\nThe need for such support is reflected in these sobering figures: Last year saw the combat deaths of 132 service members, while 475 members took their own lives.\r\nIn introducing the measure, Donnelly noted that \u201cthere is not one solution, no cure-all to prevent military suicide. But this problem is not too big to solve.\u201d\r\nAnd the passage of the Jacob Sexton Act Military Act of 2014 is a significant step in preventing such tragic losses. In a statement, Donnelly calls the legislation he fought for \u201ccommon sense change (that) will ensure we are focusing not only on our Armed Forces\u2019 physical readiness but also mental readiness.\u201d\r\nIt\u2019s no less than the men and women who protect this country deserve.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/article/bill-that-supports-troops-is-now-the-law"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.782497227191925, "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"}