House File 25 



                                      HOUSE FILE       
                                      BY  SMITH, BAILEY, SWAIM,
                                          H. MILLER, KRESSIG, STAED,
                                          WHITAKER, GASKILL, DANDEKAR,
                                          HUNTER, WHITEAD, ABDUL=SAMAD,
                                          WENTHE, MURPHY, WENDT,
                                          PETTENGILL, BERRY, FOEGE,
                                          HEDDENS, and GAYMAN


    Passed House, Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act establishing a suicide prevention program for veterans.
  2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  3 TLSB 1028HH 82
  4 ec/gg/14

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  35.12  VETERANS SUICIDE
  1  2 PREVENTION PROGRAM.
  1  3    1.  The department shall establish and administer a suicide
  1  4 prevention program for veterans.  The department shall
  1  5 coordinate with the department of public health in developing
  1  6 the program.  The goal of the program shall be to reduce the
  1  7 incidence of suicide among veterans.
  1  8    2.  The program established by the department shall include
  1  9 but not be limited to the following:
  1 10    a.  Public education and awareness programs for veterans,
  1 11 health care professionals, and the public, relative to
  1 12 recognizing and responding to veterans at risk for suicide.
  1 13    b.  Referral services to identify appropriate suicide
  1 14 prevention counseling and treatment programs for at=risk
  1 15 veterans.
  1 16    Sec. 2.  VETERANS SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAM REPORT.  The
  1 17 director of the department of veterans affairs shall submit a
  1 18 report to the members of the general assembly by January 15,
  1 19 2008, regarding the development and implementation of the
  1 20 veterans suicide prevention program established by the section
  1 21 of this Act enacting section 35.12.
  1 22                           EXPLANATION
  1 23    This bill requires the department of veterans affairs to
  1 24 establish a veterans suicide prevention program.  The bill
  1 25 provides that the department coordinate with the department of
  1 26 public health in establishing the program.  The bill provides
  1 27 that the program include public education and awareness
  1 28 programs and referral services to appropriate suicide
  1 29 prevention counseling and treatment relative to reducing the
  1 30 incidence of suicide among veterans.  The bill provides that
  1 31 the department of veterans affairs submit a report to the
  1 32 general assembly by January 15, 2008, concerning the
  1 33 development and implementation of the program.
  1 34 LSB 1028HH 82
  1 35 ec:sc/gg/14