Collins, Senate colleagues request House quickly pass veterans’ mental health bill

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) recently joined more than 30 of her colleagues in urging leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass bipartisan legislation that would improve mental health care for America’s military veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The social isolation and increased anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated many of the issues our veterans face,” the senators wrote in a Sept. 8 letter sent to U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). “Our nation’s veterans and their families are waiting on Congress to take action to deliver these desperately needed resources.” 

Sen. Collins and her colleagues requested immediate passage of the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019, S. 785, which was introduced last March by U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Jon Tester (D-MT) to update U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) transition assistance, mental health care and telehealth care, according to the congressional record summary. The bill has 52 other cosponsors, including Sen. Collins, and is supported by nearly 40 veterans service organizations, mental health patient advocacy groups, and other groups.

The U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee in August voted 17-0 to pass S. 785, and then sent it to the House for consideration. 

“This legislation makes investments in veteran-serving community organizations across the nation to reach vulnerable veterans not currently connected to VA care to provide wrap-around suicide prevention services with the VA,” Sen. Collins and her colleagues wrote. 

Additionally, the bill would establish increased accountability over the VA’s mental health and suicide prevention programs; expand VA telehealth capabilities to rural veterans; direct the VA to start a precision medicine initiative to improve how mental health conditions are diagnosed and treated; and improve the VA mental health workforce, according to their letter.

“S.785 puts in place the critical care, services and supports that will save veterans’ lives,” wrote Sen. Collins and her colleagues. 

Among the senators who joined Sen. Collins in signing the letter were Sens. Moran and Tester, as well as U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Martha McSally (R-AZ), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cory Gardner (R-CO), and Rob Portman (R-OH).