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119th Congress
Independent · Nonpartisan · Reader-supported
SENATES. 4871· 119th Congress

Better Suicide Risk Screening for Veterans

Improving Personal Risk Assessments to Prevent Suicide Act

Sponsor
Tina Smith (D-MN)
Introduced
Jun 23, 2026
Last Action
Jun 23, 2026
Passage
18%
Introduced
Jun 23, 2026
2
Committee
3
Floor Vote
4
Both Chambers
5
Enacted
01 — The Text

What.

  • Creates or improves personal risk assessment tools to identify suicide risk in veterans.
  • Likely targets VA health systems and veteran screening protocols, though specifics pending.
  • Focuses on prevention through earlier detection and intervention.
  • Detailed policy mechanisms not yet available in congressional record.
02 — The Stakes

So what?

  • Veterans Affairs patients would face more structured suicide risk evaluation—potentially catching high-risk cases earlier.
  • Affects roughly 18 million U.S. veterans; suicide rates among vets exceed general population by 1.5x.
  • Trade-off: better screening requires resources and staff time, but aims to prevent deaths.
  • No fiscal details published yet; implementation costs unknown.
03 — The Path

Now what?

  • Bill introduced in Senate June 2026, referred to Veterans' Affairs Committee. Awaits committee review and markup.
  • Committee action is next hurdle; needs bipartisan support to advance.
  • Contact your Senate offices if you want to weigh in on veteran suicide prevention.
Legislative History

Actions.

  • Jun 23, 2026Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  • Jun 23, 2026Introduced in Senate