Senator Patty Murray is the former Chair of the Senate Budget Committee and serves on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (which she also chaired). Her office issued the following yesterday.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Murray Press Office
Tuesday, February 3, 2015 (202) 224-2834
VETERANS: Murray Votes to Pass Clay Hunt Veterans Suicide Prevention Bill
Suicide prevention bill now heads to President Obama’s desk for his signature
Murray: “We simply must do more to ensure the men and women who have served our country get the physical, mental, and emotional
support they need when they come home”
Washington state is home to over
600,000 veterans
(Washington,
D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray voted to pass the Clay Hunt
Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act. Senator Murray is an
original co-sponsor
of the bill, which would require the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs
(VA) to establish an annual third-party evaluation of VA’s mental
health care and suicide prevention programs, promote greater
collaboration with community mental health resources, and
create a pilot program to attract and retain Department psychiatrists.
The bill is also designed to combat veteran suicide by improving the
quality of care at VA facilities and creating a strong base for future
mental health initiatives. This bill passes
at a critical time when suicide rates continue to rise among female
veterans who use VA care, and the rate of suicide has skyrocketed to 79
per 100,000 among male veterans ages 18-24 who use VA services.
“Every day, twenty-two American veterans die from suicide, so as a country, we simply must do more to ensure the men and women who have served our country get the physical, mental, and emotional support they need when they come home,” said Senator Murray. “This legislation will help the VA continue taking steps to make sure it is doing everything it can, from prevention programs to improved recruitment of mental health providers, to giving our nation’s heroes the care they deserve.”
Throughout
her career, Senator Murray has been an advocate for service members,
veterans, and their families. In 2012 Senator Murray passed the Mental
Health ACCESS Act
which improved access to the VA’s mental health support services and
care. According to a VA report published in 2013, over 25 percent of all
suicides in Washington state were identified as veterans, among the
highest group of states reporting suicides by
veteran status.
The Clay Hunt bill passed the House on January 12th, 2015. Now after Senate passage, it heads to the President’s desk for his signature.
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Leah Kennebeck
Deputy Press Secretary
Office of U.S. Senator Patty Murray
202-224-2834