Committee heard from representatives of veterans organizations on legislation recently passed in the senate which is expected to be taken up in the house. This is 90 minutes. [no audio] [silence] [no audio] good afternoon, everyone. [audio difficulty] millions of veterans every day. This committee is gathered to hear from those organizations about their firsthand perspective and their support for comprehensive Suicide Prevention legislation, s. 785, Veterans Mental Health care improvement act. This piece of legislation has been before this committee and before the senate, and i wanted to give the opportunity to those veteran Service Organizations and others the ability to tell us any thoughts they have in regard to this legislation as we negotiate with the house in its passage and its ability to be sent to the president. Additionally tomorrow, september the 10th, is worldwide Suicide Prevention day, and this is our opportunity to call attention to the tragedy of suicide and urge for sw
[no audio] [silence] [no audio] good afternoon, everyon good afternoon everyone. [inaudible] to support millions of veterans every day to hear from those organizations and the support for Suicide Prevention and legislation with commander John Scott Hannon better improvement act. Business legislation before thisbe committee and before the senate and i wanted to give the opportunity to the Veterans Service organizations and others and as you negotiate with the passage in the ability to be sent to the president. September 10 is worldwide Suicide Prevention day in the hearing is our opportunity to impact so Many Americans and urge for swift passage of legislation to provide lifesaving measures for those at a risk. I was notified yesterday of another veteran who died by suicide on v. A. Property. And those placing the veteran at the center of the system focusing on new forms of outreach. To achievein those goals and those not yet identified and organizations not yet with caddying and resear
Were live at the Senate Veterans affairs committee, where the success tear will testify about preventing veteran suicides as the committee looks into what congress can do to prevent them. Senator Johnny Isaacson chairs the committee. John tester is the top democrat on the committee. This is live coverage on cspan 3. We call this hearing to order. I thank all of you for coming today, especially our witnesses. We have a number of members on the way, but were in the interest of your time were going to get started. Todays hearing is about the issue of suicide. This month in america is National Suicide e Prevention Month across the kocountry. Suicide is a terrible, terrible, terrible loss of life. John will remember when we came in as a committee our first bill we passed was the Suicide Prevention bill. Passed this committee 990. It will ask to give us a report on the progress on the implementation of the act but its a very important act. And in august of 2014 i held a hearing at Georgia St
Of time were going to go ahead and get started. Todays hearing is about the issue of suicide. As many people in the room know, this month in america is National Suicide Prevention Month across the country. Suicide is a terrible, terrible, terrible loss, and wasteful loss of life. And preventible loss of life. I think john will remember when we first came in as a committee three years ago, our first bill that we passed was the clay hunt Suicide Prevention bill. It passed this committee 990. And we asked the secretary and the other members of the v. A. Here today to give us any report they might have on the progress of the implementation in terms of clay hunt act. But its a very important act. In august of 2014, i held a hearing as a member of this committee. It was a field hearing on the issue of suicide. The reason i did was because in that year, the months leading up to august of 2014, georgia va hospital in decatur had three suicides, two on campus. Some from mishandling of available
Let me call this meeting of the Senate Veterans committee, this hearing to order. Thank all of you for coming today. Especially our witnesses. We have a number of members who are on the way, but were going to in the interest of time, were going to get started. Todays hearing is about the issue of suicide. As many people in the room know, this month in america is National Suicide Prevention Month across the country. Suicide is a terrible, terrible, terrible loss and wasteful loss of life, and preventable loss of life. I think john will remember when we first came in as a committee three years ago, our first bill that we passed was the clay hunt Suicide Prevention bill. Passed this committee 990, and well ask the secretary and the other members from the v. A. To give us any report they might have on the progress of the implementation in terms of the act, but its a very important act. In august of 2014, i held a hearing at Georgia State university as a member of this committee. It was a f