H.R. 8486

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8486 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8486

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program to 
award grants for the development of predictive models to evaluate risk 
factors that contribute to the incidence of suicide among veterans, and 
for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 23, 2026

Mr. Mackenzie (for himself and Mr. Gottheimer) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program to 
award grants for the development of predictive models to evaluate risk 
factors that contribute to the incidence of suicide among veterans, and 
for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Data Driven Suicide Prevention and 
Outreach Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS GRANT PROGRAM FOR PREDICTIVE 
MODELS TO EVALUATE RISK FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO 
SUICIDE AMONG VETERANS.

(a) Establishment.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting 
through the Center for Innovation for Care and Payment of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, shall establish and carry out a program 
(in this section referred to as the ``Program'') to award grants to 
eligible organizations described in subsection (b) to use artificial 
intelligence to develop a predictive model to evaluate risk factors 
contributing to the incidence of suicide among veterans.
(b) Eligibility.--An eligible organization described in this 
subsection is a nonprofit entity, academic institution, private 
research organization, or other entity with demonstrated capability and 
experience--
(1) developing and deploying artificial intelligence and 
machine learning solutions;
(2) analyzing health care data, including de-identification 
and protection of--
(A) personally identifiable information; and
(B) protected health information;
(3) developing predictive models or decision-support tools 
used in clinical or population health settings;
(4) applying advanced statistical methods or machine 
learning techniques to large, complex health datasets; and
(5) complying with Department data security and 
interoperability standards.
(c) Applications.--An eligible organization desiring a grant under 
the Program shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form, 
at such time, and containing such information and assurances as the 
Secretary determines appropriate.
(d) Selection Procedures.--
(1) Number.--Subject to paragraph (4), the Secretary shall 
select not fewer than two eligible organizations to which to 
award a grant under the Program.
(2) Criteria.--In selecting an eligible organization 
pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider the 
following criteria:
(A) With respect to the VISN in which the 
organization is located--
(i) the geographic distribution;
(ii) the complexity of applicable Veterans 
Health Administration facilities; and
(iii) the density of the veteran 
population.
(B) Geographic proximity to Veterans Health 
Administration facilities.
(C) Demonstrated experience in collaborating with 
local Department facilities and community partners.
(D) Demonstrated capability to deploy a predictive 
analysis solution in a health care system that serves 
more than 500,000 patients and beneficiaries.
(3) Priority.--In evaluating the criteria described in 
paragraph (2), the Secretary shall give priority for selection 
under paragraph (1) to eligible organizations--
(A) located in areas with--
(i) a high rate of suicide among veterans;
(ii) a high rate of calls to the Veterans 
Crisis Line; and
(iii) long wait times for mental health 
care services at Department facilities;
(B) with experience in administering predictive 
analytics or population health solutions for 
Government-owned health care systems pursuant to an 
agreement with the Federal Government (including the 
Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of 
Defense, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services);
(C) with a demonstrated capability to deliver tools 
that are--
(i) explicable;
(ii) interoperable; and
(iii) clinically actionable;
(D) that employ data scientists, clinicians, and 
suicide prevention specialists;
(E) with existing infrastructure for secure data 
storage and transmission that complies with Federal 
cybersecurity requirements; and
(F) that agree to make any predictive model or 
finding resulting from activities funded with a grant 
under this section available to the Secretary for 
Department of Veterans Affairs-wide implementation and 
evaluation.
(4) Limitation.--The Secretary may not, pursuant to 
paragraph (1), select an eligible organization located in a 
VISN in which another eligible organization in receipt of a 
grant under the Program is located.
(e) Capability.--Each eligible organization in receipt of a grant 
under the Program shall ensure that the predictive model developed 
using such grant has the capability to integrate data under the 
jurisdiction of the Veterans Benefits Administration, including the 
military service records of veterans, with clinical data under the 
jurisdiction of the Veterans Health Administration.
(f) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in subsection (d) may be 
construed to require an eligible organization in receipt of a grant 
under the Program to transfer to the Secretary ownership of the 
predictive model developed using such grant, or any proprietary 
technology associated with such predictive model.
(g) Termination Date.--The authority of the Secretary to carry out 
the pilot program under this section shall terminate on September 30, 
2029.
(h) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``artificial intelligence'' has the meaning 
given such term in section 238 of the John S. McCain National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115-
232; 10 U.S.C. 2358 note).
(2) The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given such term in 
section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
(3) The term ``Veterans Crisis Line'' means the toll-free 
hotline for veterans established and operated under section 
1720F of such title.
(4) The term ``VISN'' means a Veteran Integrated Services 
Network.
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