Sponsors (2)
The bill improves veterans' access to suicide-prevention coordinators (including off-hours) and standardizes coverage nationwide, but it bars new hiring—potentially straining staff, harming service quality, and shifting costs within existing VA budgets.
Veterans will gain timely access to suicide-prevention coordinators at every VA medical center, including outside normal business hours, improving crisis support, care continuity, and potentially reducing suicide risk.
Veterans and state partners will see more consistent suicide-prevention services because coordinator coverage is standardized across VA medical centers nationwide.
Veterans and VA staff may face reduced service quality or slower crisis response if coordinators are required to cover off-hours without additional hires, increasing burnout risk and jeopardizing outcomes.
VA employees and veterans may experience higher workloads because the Secretary is prohibited from creating new full‑time positions, forcing reassignments and straining staff capacity.
Taxpayers and veterans could see indirect trade-offs if operational costs (overtime, reassignments) rise and must be absorbed within existing VA budgets, potentially reducing funding for other services.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires a suicide prevention coordinator to be available at every VA medical center, including off‑hours when needed, without authorizing new FTEs.
Official title: To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that a suicide prevention coordinator is available at each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs, including outside the operating hours of such medical center, as needed, to accommodate a request for suicide prevention planning services, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 10, 2026 by Erin Houchin · Last progress June 10, 2026
Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to make a suicide prevention coordinator available at every VA medical center, including coverage outside normal operating hours when needed to provide suicide prevention planning services. The provision also specifies that this requirement does not authorize hiring additional full‑time equivalent (FTE) positions. The change amends existing VA law to ensure access to a designated suicide prevention coordinator at all VA medical centers, clarifying availability expectations while limiting it to current staffing authorizations.