Daniel J. Harvey, Jr. and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Daniel J. Harvey, Jr. and Adam Lambert bill expands mental-health content in the Defense Department's Transition Assistance Program and the Veterans Affairs Solid Start Program. TAP must include information on mental health services furnished by DOD, VA, service secretaries, and nonprofits; treatment for PTSD, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, sleep disorders, suicidal ideation, and other service-related mental health conditions; suicide signs, symptoms, and risk factors; substance-abuse treatment; loss of community and support systems after separation; isolation; and transition stressors. Solid Start outreach must help eligible veterans enroll in VHA patient enrollment and educate them about VHA mental health and counseling services. DOD and VA must report to the Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs committees within one year on the materials developed.
Who Benefits and How
Separating servicemembers benefit because TAP must explain suicide risk, mental health treatment, substance-abuse resources, and transition stressors before discharge. Newly separated veterans benefit because Solid Start outreach must help them enroll in VHA care and understand VA mental health services. Veterans experiencing PTSD or traumatic brain injury benefit from more explicit transition information about treatment options. Veterans suicide-prevention organizations benefit from stronger federal transition-program content around risk factors and available resources.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Department of Defense must revise TAP materials and coordinate with service secretaries, VA, and nonprofit resource information. The Department of Veterans Affairs must update Solid Start scripts and materials for enrollment assistance and mental health education. VHA enrollment and counseling offices may receive more outreach-driven inquiries from newly separated veterans. Congressional Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs committees must review the required one-year DOD-VA report.
Key Provisions
- Expands TAP mental-health information for separating servicemembers.
- Requires coverage of suicide risk factors, substance-abuse resources, isolation, loss of support systems, and transition stressors.
- Adds VHA enrollment assistance and mental health counseling education to VA Solid Start outreach.
- Directs DOD and VA to submit a joint report to congressional defense and veterans committees within one year.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Requires DOD transition counseling and VA Solid Start outreach to cover mental health services, suicide risk, substance abuse resources, transition stressors, VHA enrollment, and counseling options for separating servicemembers and new veterans.
Key Policy Areas
Veterans, Mental Health, Defense
Primary Purpose
Requires DOD transition counseling and VA Solid Start outreach to cover mental health services, suicide risk, substance abuse resources, transition stressors, VHA enrollment, and counseling options for separating servicemembers and new veterans.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Separating servicemembers
- Newly separated veterans
- Veterans experiencing PTSD or traumatic brain injury
- Veterans suicide-prevention organizations
Identified Costs
- Department of Defense
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- VHA enrollment and counseling offices
- Congressional defense and veterans committees
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeSubcommittee Hearings Held
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
Mr. Nunn of Iowa (for himself and Mr. Magaziner) introduced …
Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition …
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA enrollment and counseling offices
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology