Tap any paragraph to write a margin note. Your notes collect in the Desk below the text and file under cases with @. The side-by-side margin rail opens on a larger screen.

§
Marginalia
Code · STATUTE-COMPILATIONS · Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act of 2019 · Sec. 401

Sec. 401. STUDY ON EFFECTIVENESS OF SUICIDE PREVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

1,045 words·~5 min read·/statute-compilations/comps-15901/sec-401

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

## SEC. 401 STUDY ON EFFECTIVENESS OF SUICIDE PREVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ###
(a)In General Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall enter into an agreement with a non-Federal Government entity with expertise in conducting and evaluating research-based studies to conduct a study on the effectiveness of the suicide prevention and mental health outreach materials prepared by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the suicide prevention and mental health outreach campaigns conducted by the Department. ###
(b)Use of Focus Groups ####
(1)In general The Secretary shall convene not fewer than eight different focus groups to evaluate the effectiveness of the suicide prevention and mental health materials and campaigns as required under subsection (a). ####
(2)Location of focus groups Focus groups convened under paragraph
(1)shall be held in geographically diverse areas as follows: #####
(A)Not fewer than two in rural or highly rural areas. #####
(B)Not fewer than one in each of the four districts of the Veterans Benefits Administration. ####
(3)Timing of focus groups Focus groups convened under paragraph
(1)shall be held at a variety of dates and times to ensure an adequate representation of veterans with different work schedules. ####
(4)Number of participants Each focus group convened under paragraph
(1)shall include not fewer than five and not more than 12 participants. ####
(5)Representation Each focus group convened under paragraph
(1)shall, to the extent practicable, include veterans of diverse backgrounds, including— #####
(A)veterans of all eras, as determined by the Secretary; #####
(B)women veterans; #####
(C)minority veterans; #####
(D)Native American veterans, as defined in section 3765 of title 38, United States Code; #####
(E)veterans who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (commonly referred to as “LGBTQ”); #####
(F)veterans who live in rural or highly rural areas; #####
(G)individuals transitioning from active duty in the Armed Forces to civilian life; and #####
(H)other high-risk groups of veterans, as determined by the Secretary. ###
(c)Report ####
(1)In general Not later than 90 days after the last focus group meeting under subsection (b), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the findings of the focus groups. ####
(2)Elements The report required by paragraph
(1)shall include the following: #####
(A)Based on the findings of the focus groups, an assessment of the effectiveness of current suicide prevention and mental health materials and campaigns of the Department in reaching veterans as a whole as well as specific groups of veterans (for example, women veterans). #####
(B)Based on the findings of the focus groups, recommendations for future suicide prevention and mental health materials and campaigns of the Department to target specific groups of veterans. #####
(C)A plan to change the current suicide prevention and mental health materials and campaigns of the Department or, if the Secretary decides not to change the current materials and campaigns, an explanation of the reason for maintaining the current materials and campaigns. #####
(D)A description of any dissenting or opposing viewpoints raised by participants in the focus group. #####
(E)Such other issues as the Secretary considers necessary. ###
(d)Representative Survey ####
(1)In general Not later than one year after the last focus group meeting under subsection (b), the Secretary shall complete a representative survey of the veteran population that is informed by the focus group data in order to collect information about the effectiveness of the mental health and suicide prevention materials and campaigns conducted by the Department. ####
(2)Veterans surveyed #####
(A)In general Veterans surveyed under paragraph
(1)shall include veterans described in subsection (b)(5). #####
(B)Disaggregation of data Data of veterans surveyed under paragraph
(1)shall be disaggregated by— ######
(i)veterans who have received care from the Department during the two-year period preceding the survey; and ######
(ii)veterans who have not received care from the Department during the two-year period preceding the survey. ###
(e)Treatment of Contracts for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Outreach Media **[**[38 U.S.C. 1720F note](/us/usc/t38/s1720F)**]** ####
(1)Focus groups #####
(A)In general The Secretary shall include in each contract to develop media relating to suicide prevention and mental health materials and campaigns a requirement that the contractor convene focus groups of veterans to assess the effectiveness of suicide prevention and mental health outreach. #####
(B)Representation Each focus group required under subparagraph
(A)shall, to the extent practicable, include veterans of diverse backgrounds, including— ######
(i)veterans of all eras, as determined by the Secretary; ######
(ii)women veterans; ######
(iii)minority veterans; ######
(iv)Native American veterans, as defined in section 3765 of title 38, United States Code; ######
(v)veterans who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (commonly referred to as “LGBTQ”); ######
(vi)veterans who live in rural or highly rural areas; ######
(vii)individuals transitioning from active duty in the Armed Forces to civilian life; and ######
(viii)other high-risk groups of veterans, as determined by the Secretary. ####
(2)Subcontracting #####
(A)In general The Secretary shall include in each contract described in paragraph (1)(A) a requirement that, if the contractor subcontracts for the development of media, the contractor shall subcontract with a subcontractor that has experience creating impactful media campaigns that target individuals age 18 to 34. #####
(B)Budget limitation Not more than two percent of the budget of the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention of the Department for contractors for suicide prevention and mental health media outreach shall go to subcontractors described in subparagraph (A). ###
(f)Paperwork Reduction Act Exemption Chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly known as the “Paperwork Reduction Act”) shall not apply to any rulemaking or information collection required under this section. ###
(g)Rural and Highly Rural Defined In this section, with respect to an area, the terms “rural” and “highly rural” have the meanings given those terms in the Rural-Urban Commuting Areas coding system of the Department of Agriculture.
Connections1 off-index
1 reference not yet in our index
  • 38 USC 1720F
Citation graph
cites case law
Sec. 401
STUDY ON EFFECTIVENESS OF SUICIDE PREVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Cite38 USC 1720F
Cites 1Cited by 0 across 0 sources
★   the supreme law of the land   ★
Don't Tread on Me
E Pluribus Unum — out of many, one

"If you don't know your rights, you don't have any."

Marginalia · a citizen's law index
A research desk, not legal advice. Always read the cited source before relying on a summary.
Questions or an issue? support@self-law.org
disclaimerMarginalia is a research index, not a law firm. Nothing on this site is legal, tax, or financial advice and no attorney–client relationship is formed by using it. Statutes, regulations, and case law change; summaries, search results, AI output, and member posts may be incomplete, out of date, or wrong. Any interpretation drawn from material on this site should be validated by a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before you act on it.