Protecting Veterans in Crisis Act

This bill focuses on how the Veterans Crisis Line is run and staffed, so veterans in crisis can get help quickly. It requires the VA to tell Congress 48 hours before firing any Veterans Crisis Line employee, explain why, say if the person is a veteran or military spouse, and show how service will continue; this requirement ends January 20, 2029 . The VA must also deliver a detailed employee report within 30 days of the bill becoming law, including staff counts as of January 20, 2025, and how many workers were let go around February 13 and February 24, 2025, with breakdowns by job and veteran or military spouse status .

To track service quality, the VA must send Congress a report every 30 days until January 20, 2029, covering wait times, unanswered calls, staffing levels and ratios, and how resources are used, plus month-to-month and year-over-year performance comparisons . The Government Accountability Office must also review the Crisis Line within 180 days and recommend improvements .

• Who is affected: Veterans Crisis Line callers and staff; the VA teams that manage the line .
• What changes: Advance notice to Congress before staff are terminated; a one-time workforce report; monthly performance and staffing reports; an independent review with recommendations .
• When: Initial staff report due 30 days after enactment; monthly reports continue through January 20, 2029; GAO review due within 180 days .