H.R. 9376: Trauma Outreach, Understanding, and Resiliency through Spirituality Act

This bill would make two main changes to veterans’ suicide prevention policy and reporting.

Annual suicide prevention report and briefing

The bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), through its Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, to produce an annual report on suicide prevention. That report would have to be sent to the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs. The VA would also have to give those committees an annual briefing on the latest report.

Study of chaplain and faith-based services

The bill would direct the VA Secretary to conduct a two-year study, starting no later than January 1, 2027, on whether veterans’ use of the VA Chaplain Service and other faith-based programs is related to suicide risk.

The study would have to examine things such as:

• Different kinds of participation, such as group activities, outreach events, and other non-confidential interactions
• How often veterans use mental health services that involve chaplains
• How often veterans use faith-based programs offered by the VA
• Data across different VA facilities
• Whether there are any links between this participation and mental health outcomes, including suicide-related behavior
• Which programs appear to have positive results

Privacy and voluntary participation protections

The bill would require the VA to make sure veterans are told when data is being collected. It would also prohibit collecting or reporting information that would compromise medical confidentiality or protected religious communications. Participation in chaplaincy services would remain voluntary.

Reports to Congress

Each year during the study, the VA would have to send Congress a report within 90 days after the end of that year. Each report would include:

• A summary of the data collected
• An analysis of trends and outcomes
• A list of programs found to have a measurable effect on suicide risk
• Recommendations on improving data collection and how suicide prevention resources are allocated

Relevant Companies

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