thedrifter
09-29-07, 11:27 AM
Senate OKs vets’ suicide prevention bill
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Sep 28, 2007 23:49:07 EDT
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Senate has unanimously approved a bill authored by Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin intended to prevent suicides by military veterans.
The Senate approved the bill late Thursday by unanimous consent and sent it back to the House, which passed a previous version of the measure, 423-0.
The measure is named the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, honoring a 22-year-old Army reservist from Grundy Center who took his life in December 2005 after returning from Iraq.
The Senate’s approval came after Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn removed a hold on the bill, which had prevented its passage. Coburn, a Republican, said he was concerned by parts of the bill calling for mental health screenings of veterans and tracking of veterans who have received mental health services.
Provisions of the bill include:
** Guarantee of 24-hour access to mental health care for veterans deemed at risk for suicide.
** Suicide prevention education and training for all Veterans Affairs staff and others who interact with veterans.
** Creation of a program to help families and veterans to spot signs of mental illness and risk factor for suicide.
Rep. Leonard Boswell, an Iowa Democrat, will lead the bill in the House.
VA estimates more than 5,000 veterans commit suicide each year, according to Harkin’s office.
Ellie
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Sep 28, 2007 23:49:07 EDT
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Senate has unanimously approved a bill authored by Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin intended to prevent suicides by military veterans.
The Senate approved the bill late Thursday by unanimous consent and sent it back to the House, which passed a previous version of the measure, 423-0.
The measure is named the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, honoring a 22-year-old Army reservist from Grundy Center who took his life in December 2005 after returning from Iraq.
The Senate’s approval came after Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn removed a hold on the bill, which had prevented its passage. Coburn, a Republican, said he was concerned by parts of the bill calling for mental health screenings of veterans and tracking of veterans who have received mental health services.
Provisions of the bill include:
** Guarantee of 24-hour access to mental health care for veterans deemed at risk for suicide.
** Suicide prevention education and training for all Veterans Affairs staff and others who interact with veterans.
** Creation of a program to help families and veterans to spot signs of mental illness and risk factor for suicide.
Rep. Leonard Boswell, an Iowa Democrat, will lead the bill in the House.
VA estimates more than 5,000 veterans commit suicide each year, according to Harkin’s office.
Ellie