American Legion supports four pieces of legislation that aligns with its Be the One mission to prevent veteran suicide.
Veteran mental health and suicide prevention is a priority of The American Legion’s. Through its Be the One mission, The American Legion is empowering its Legion Family and community members to be the one to help a veteran in crisis and destigmatize the need to ask for help. In support of this, The American Legion submitted a Statement for the Record (SFR) for the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing regarding veteran suicide, “Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Outreach to Support Veterans’ Mental Health,” on April 29.
“Veterans do not exist in a vacuum and their challenges — both psychological and physiological — demand a multi-faceted and dynamic approach,” wrote Sri Benson, American Legion health policy analyst, in the SFR. “By tackling these issues head on through comprehensive legislation, we can reduce the epidemic of veteran suicide and demonstrate to the next generation of warfighters that they will be cared for in their worst moments. Winning the war within is and remains The American Legion’s No. 1 priority.
“The American Legion is pleased to see Congress taking the national issue of veteran suicide seriously and looks forward to discussing the following legislation.”
S. 609: Building Resources and Access for Veterans' Mental Health Engagement (BRAVE) Act. This legislation calls for the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve mental health service, the Secretary of VA to review market pay surveys to determine if the salaries of VA employees are similar to the private sector, improve Vet Centers and meet the needs of current and future women veterans.
S. 1139: HOPE for Heroes Act. This legislation outlines modifications and reauthorization of the VA’s Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Services Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP).
During a testimony before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs on Dec. 17, 2024, American Legion Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Director Cole Lyle stated, “Fox grants have allowed organizations to coordinate initiatives related to post-traumatic growth, peer-support services, and cultural/faith-based programs.” This upstream approach aligns with The American Legion’s Be the One mission and Buddy Check program. The American Legion strongly believes that community-based suicide prevention efforts are critical to addressing the national issue of veteran suicide.
S. 793: A bill to amend the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 to modify and reauthorize the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. This legislation includes extending the maximum amount of grant funding from $750,000 to $1,250,000 with the SSG Fox SPGP.
“American Legion recognizes the SSG Fox SPGP as an important part of the suicide prevention ecosystem for American veterans and eagerly awaits the consolidated version of the bills for reauthorization of the program,” Benson wrote.
S. 1361: Every State Counts for Vets Mental Health Act, seeks to expand the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program by incentivizing programs in states which do not yet have any registered grantees. The American Legion supports the initiative to expand the geographic scope of the grant program.
“Our rural veterans face unique challenges, especially when we consider the compounding effects of isolation and suicidality. Many SSG Fox SPGP grantees provide services using the healing power of nature, and these programs are uniquely suitable for the rural veteran who may be less willing to seek traditional counseling.”
- Veterans Healthcare