No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. TAKANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today regarding H.R. 5392, the No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act.
The Veterans Crisis Line actually provides three ways veterans can access help when they are in crisis.

Veterans, servicemembers, and their loved ones can call the 1-800 number, send a text message, or chat online to receive free, confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, even if they are not registered with VA or enrolled in VA health care.

The responders at the Veterans Crisis Line are especially trained and experienced in helping veterans of all ages and circumstances, from those coping with mental health issues that were never addressed to recent veterans dealing with relationships or the transition back to civilian life.

Since its launch in 2007 through May 2016, the Veterans Crisis Line has answered over 2.3 million calls and initiated the dispatch of emergency services to callers in imminent crisis nearly 61,000 times.
This bill requires improvements to the Veterans Crisis Line by having the VA create quality assurance guidelines that will include clearly defined and measurable performance indicators and objectives to improve the responsiveness and performance of the Veterans Crisis Line.

The bill also requires the VA to develop a plan to ensure that each telephone call, text message, and other communications received by the Veterans Crisis Line is answered in a timely manner by a person, consistent with the guidance established by the American Association of Suicidology.

As Suicide Prevention Awareness Month comes to a close, Congress must take these necessary steps to improve the Veterans Crisis Line for all veterans who depend on it. I support this legislation, and I urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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