Data Driven Suicide Prevention and Outreach Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8486
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-23: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-18T18:57:16Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Data Driven Suicide Prevention and Outreach Act of 2026 (H.R. 8486) directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to create a grant program. The goal is to fund the development of artificial intelligence (AI)-based predictive models that identify risk factors for suicide among veterans, improving prevention efforts.
Key Provisions
- Program Establishment: Within one year of enactment, the VA's Center for Innovation for Care and Payment must launch the program to award grants to eligible organizations for building AI predictive models.
- Eligibility Criteria: Grantees must be nonprofits, academic institutions, private research organizations, or similar entities with proven expertise in:
- AI and machine learning.
- Secure handling of health data (including protecting personal info and health records).
- Creating predictive tools for healthcare.
- Analyzing large health datasets.
- Meeting VA data security standards.
- Selection Process:
- At least two organizations selected, but no two in the same Veteran Integrated Services Network (VISN, a regional VA network).
- Based on factors like location in high-risk VISNs (high veteran suicide rates, Veterans Crisis Line calls, mental health wait times), proximity to VA facilities, collaboration experience, and ability to serve large patient groups.
- Priority to organizations in high-risk areas, with government health experience, explainable/interoperable tools, expert teams, secure infrastructure, and willingness to share models with VA.
- Model Requirements: Models must combine Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) data (e.g., service records) with Veterans Health Administration (VHA) clinical data.
- Ownership and Duration: Grantees retain ownership of their models and technology. Program ends September 30, 2029.
- Definitions: AI as defined in existing law; standard VA definitions for "veteran" and "Veterans Crisis Line."
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill introduces a new grant program with no amendments to prior laws. It builds on existing VA authorities by mandating AI use for suicide prediction, without altering current statutes.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: VA gains tools for suicide prevention, potentially improving resource allocation in high-risk VISNs and reducing mental health wait times. Temporary program limits long-term costs.
- Citizens (Veterans): Enhanced risk identification could lead to earlier interventions, lowering suicide rates among the veteran population.
- No notable international relations impacts.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- VA Leadership and Facilities: Secretary, Center for Innovation, VHA/VBA, and VISNs responsible for implementation and model adoption.
- Eligible Organizations: Nonprofits, universities, and research groups receiving grants and developing models.
- Veterans: Primary beneficiaries, especially in high-suicide-risk areas.
- Community Partners: Local VA collaborators involved in deployment.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Data Privacy Focus: Emphasizes de-identification and protection of personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI), aligning with federal standards like HIPAA to avoid privacy violations.
- AI Governance: Relies on existing federal AI definitions, promoting explainable (understandable), interoperable (compatible across systems), and actionable (usable in clinics) tools.
- No Ownership Transfer: Protects grantees' intellectual property, encouraging private-sector participation.
- Temporary Authority: Sunsets in 2029, allowing evaluation before permanence; prioritizes underserved areas, addressing equity in veteran care without constitutional challenges noted.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-23: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 2026-04-23: Introduced in House
- 2026-04-23: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Data Driven Suicide Prevention and Outreach Act of 2026 — issued 2026-04-23 — PDF (7 pages)