Improve Well-Being for Veterans Act

This bill, introduced by Mr. Bergman and Ms. Houlahan, aims to provide financial assistance to eligible entities to offer suicide prevention services for veterans at risk of suicide and their families. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs will distribute grants to these approved entities to coordinate and provide these services.

The bill requires that the grants awarded cover a maximum amount, have intervals of payment, and may require matching funds from the recipients. Financial assistance will be distributed across geographic regions with high rates of veteran suicide and to entities that can help veterans not currently receiving care from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Eligible entities must apply for financial assistance by detailing the services they plan to provide, their partnership with community organizations, and their experience in providing suicide prevention services. The Secretary will provide training and technical assistance to these entities.

Reporting requirements include submitting annual reports on the projects carried out with the financial assistance, evaluation criteria, and data on the veterans served. The bill also outlines criteria for selecting eligible entities and measures for determining the effectiveness of the financial assistance provided.

Before notifying eligible entities of funding availability, a report with award criteria, effectiveness measures, and information-sharing frameworks must be submitted to Congress. The bill also includes provisions for providing information on potential beneficiaries and has a duration of three years for the financial assistance authority.

Interim and final reports on the effectiveness of the financial assistance and the increased capacity of the Department to support veterans at risk of suicide must be submitted to Congress. The bill includes definitions for terms such as eligible entity, risk of suicide, suicide prevention services, and veteran family.

Rep. Christopher Pappas

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