Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act
The Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act would change how the Department of Veterans Affairs awards suicide prevention grants. It adds a priority rule to favor grant applications from entities located in states that have not yet received a grant under the VA’s suicide prevention program. Specifically, if a state has applicants but no grant awarded yet, the secretary must give those applicants priority in consideration. If no entity in a state has ever received a grant, every eligible applicant in that state would receive a scoring preference until at least one grant is awarded there. The aim is to ensure more states receive at least one grant and to promote more even distribution of funds to support veterans’ mental health and suicide prevention.
Key Points
- 1The bill is titled the “Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act” and is an amendment to existing law (the 2019 Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act).
- 2It adds a new priority bracket (paragraph 3) for states that have not yet received a VA suicide prevention grant.
- 3Provision (A): The Secretary must prioritize consideration of eligible entities in states where an entity has applied but not yet received a grant.
- 4Provision (B): If no entity in a state has ever received a grant, all eligible entities in that state applying for a grant get a scoring preference until at least one grant is awarded in that state.
- 5The bill does not specify funding levels or a start date beyond its introduction; it focuses on grant selection criteria and process.