The "Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act" prioritizes suicide prevention grants for states that have not yet received funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Kevin Cramer
Senator
ND
The "Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act" prioritizes Department of Veterans Affairs suicide prevention grant applicants from states that have not yet received such a grant. The goal is to ensure that every state has access to resources for veteran mental health and suicide prevention. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must give a scoring preference to eligible entities in states without prior grant awards until at least one grant is awarded in that state.
VA Suicide Prevention Grants Get a New Focus: Bill Prioritizes Funding for Every State
This bill, titled the "Every State Counts for Veterans Mental Health Act," tweaks an existing program to spread federal support for veteran suicide prevention more evenly across the country. It amends Section 201(d) of the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019. The core change? It directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary to give priority to grant applicants aiming to run suicide prevention programs in states where no such VA grant has been awarded previously.
Leveling the Playing Field for Prevention
The practical effect is straightforward: if an organization applies for a VA suicide prevention grant and plans to operate in a state that's currently unserved by these specific funds, their application gets a leg up. Section 2 mandates a "scoring preference" for these applicants. This priority status remains in place for a given state until at least one grant is successfully awarded there. It’s essentially a mechanism designed to ensure the federal resources dedicated under the Hannon Act reach veterans in all states, not just those where organizations might have been quickest or most successful in early funding rounds.
What This Means for Vets on the Ground
For veterans and their families living in states that haven't yet benefited from these VA-funded community suicide prevention initiatives, this bill could make a real difference. It increases the likelihood that local non-profits, community groups, or other eligible entities trying to establish or expand veteran mental health support will secure the necessary federal funding. While it might slightly shift the competitive balance away from states that have already received grants, the primary goal is clear: ensuring that access to potentially life-saving, community-based mental health resources, supported by the VA, isn't determined by state lines. It’s about making sure the promise of the Hannon Act reaches veterans everywhere.