Congress Passes New Bill to Improve Veterans’ Mental Health Care

Sep 23, 2020

On Wednesday, September 23, 2020, NAMI celebrated the U.S. House of Representatives’ unanimous passage of a landmark bipartisan bill, S. 785, The Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act. The bill previously passed the Senate and will now go to President Trump for his signature.
 
This bill is named in honor of NAMI Montana member and retired Navy SEAL Commander John Scott Hannon, who served for 23 years and fought a courageous battle with post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury and bipolar disorder.
 
This bill will help transitioning and former service members access better care and advance research into mental health conditions. This legislation will:
 

• Provide wraparound suicide prevention services through veteran-serving community organizations
• Increase accountability of mental health and suicide prevention programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
• Help rural veterans by expanding VA telehealth care
• Boost research, including creating a Precision Medicine for Veterans Initiative to identify biomarkers for mental health conditions

 
“We must do better for those who served our country,” said Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., NAMI CEO. “Too many veterans who transition out of service carry invisible wounds and, tragically, often lose their lives to suicide. We are thankful that, during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Congress passed a bill that reflects Commander Hannon’s tireless passion for improving veterans’ mental health care.”
 
Read NAMI’s statement.
 
Saying “thank you” to U.S. Representatives. NAMI encourages all advocates to express thanks to their Representatives for unanimously passing this bipartisan legislation.