H.R. 9018

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9018 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9018

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide to Congress 
notice of any suicide or attempted suicide of a veteran in a facility 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs or of a Community Care provider, 
and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 22, 2026

Mr. Min (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. 
Garcia of Illinois, Ms. Escobar, Ms. Budzinski, Mr. Sorensen, and Mr. 
Thompson of California) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide to Congress 
notice of any suicide or attempted suicide of a veteran in a facility 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs or of a Community Care provider, 
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 ``Fostering Transparency, 
Understanding, and Support for Veterans Act of 2026'' or the 
``Fostering TRUST Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL NOTICE OF SUICIDES AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDES OF 
VETERANS IN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FACILITIES.

Section 1720F of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection:
``(l) Congressional Notice Requirements.--(1) In the case of the 
suicide or attempted suicide of any veteran that occurs in, or on the 
grounds of, a Department facility or the facility of a non-Department 
provider through which the Secretary furnishes care under section 1703 
of this title, to the extent that the Secretary or any employee or 
senior leader of the Department is aware of the suicide or attempted 
suicide, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' 
Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives and the Senators 
and member of Congress representing the district in which the facility 
is located and the Senators and member of Congress representing the 
district in which the veteran resides the following notices:
``(A) Not later than seven days after the date on which the 
suicide or attempted suicide occurs, notice of--
``(i) the suicide or attempted suicide; and
``(ii) the name of the facility and location where 
the suicide or attempted suicide occurred.
``(B) Subject to paragraph (2), not later than 60 days 
after such date, notice of the following information (if 
available) regarding the veteran who committed or attempted to 
commit suicide:
``(i) The enrollment status of the veteran with 
respect to the patient enrollment system of the 
Department under section 1705 of this title.
``(ii) The date and circumstances of the most 
recent encounter before the suicide or attempted 
suicide occurred between the veteran and any employee 
or facility of the Veterans Health Administration or 
any non-Department provider.
``(iii) Whether the veteran had other medical 
insurance or coverage (including under the TRICARE 
program (as defined in section 1072 of title 10), the 
Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.), or the Medicaid 
program under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1396 et seq.)).
``(iv) The Armed Force in which the veteran served.
``(v) The time period during which the veteran 
served in the Armed Forces.
``(vi) The age of the veteran.
``(vii) The marital status of the veteran.
``(viii) The employment status of the veteran.
``(ix) The housing status of the veteran.
``(x) The gender identity of the veteran.
``(xi) The sexual orientation of the veteran.
``(xii) The race and ethnicity of the veteran.
``(xiii) The disability rating of the veteran.
``(xiv) Confirmation that the Secretary has 
provided to the immediate family members of the veteran 
notice of any Department support or assistance for 
which such family members may be eligible.
``(2) In collecting and reporting information under paragraph 
(1)(B), the Secretary shall take all steps the Secretary determines 
necessary to respect the privacy and dignity of the veteran and the 
family of the veteran.
``(3) Each notice submitted under subparagraph (A) or (B) of 
paragraph (1) shall include a copy of guidance developed by the 
Secretary for purposes of dissemination that is designed to--
``(A) deter the sensationalism of suicide;
``(B) provide information regarding warning signs that are 
often exhibited by veterans at risk of suicide;
``(C) provide notice of the resources the Department offers 
to veterans who may be at risk of suicide, including the 
Veterans Crisis Line and readjustment counseling provided 
through Vet Centers; and
``(D) provide information about best practices for lethal 
means safety and resources to secure lethal means available 
through the Department.''.
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