WASHINGTON — Yesterday, U.S. Representatives Lou Correa (CA-46) and Bill Huizenga (MI-04) introduced the Veterans Suicide Prevention and Care Enhancement Act (H.R. 8793), bipartisan legislation aimed at improving mental health outcomes for veterans and helping reduce veteran suicide rates by expanding access to evidence-based suicide prevention care. The legislation seeks to increase the number of Community Care Network providers who complete evidence-based suicide prevention training administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs while also creating a publicly available preferred provider list to help veterans identify providers who best meet their needs.
“All gave some, and some made the ultimate sacrifice. Our veterans were willing to give their lives to defend American freedom and democracy. It is now our moral duty to provide them with the highest-quality mental health care,” said Rep. Correa. “I joined Representative Bill Huizenga in introducing the Veteran Suicide Prevention and Care Enhancement Act because veterans face a high risk of suicide. Not all wounds are visible, and we need to make sure that medical care is available to meet their needs. It is the least we can do to thank veterans for their sacrifice.”
Under current law, providers in local communities outside the VA healthcare system may participate in the Veterans Health Administration Community Care Network without completing VA-administered suicide prevention training. The Veterans Suicide Prevention and Care Enhancement Act encourages greater participation in that training and improves transparency for veterans seeking care options in their communities. Joining Representatives Correa and Huizenga as original cosponsors are Representatives Tim Walberg (R-MI), Mike Lawler (R-NY), and Chris Smith (R-NJ).
According to the VA’s 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, 6,398 veterans died by suicide in 2023, an average of 17.5 veterans per day. The report also found that 61% of veterans who died by suicide in 2023 had not received VA healthcare services in the year prior to their death.
“When our servicemembers come home at the end of their service, our responsibility to them does not end,” said Rep. Huizenga. “Too many veterans continue to struggle with invisible wounds after returning home, and they deserve access to the highest quality mental health care available, wherever they receive it. This bipartisan legislation will help connect veterans with providers who have completed evidence-based suicide prevention training and improve transparency for veterans and families seeking care.”
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