Improving Personal Risk Assessments to Prevent Suicide Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4871
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-23: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-07T18:31:04Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation requires the Department of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Department of Defense, to study and report on how military sexual trauma and intimate partner violence relate to suicidal thoughts and suicide among service members and veterans. It also directs updates to clinical guidelines based on that study.
Key Provisions
- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must submit a report and provide a briefing to the Senate and House Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees within 18 months of enactment.
- The report must be published on a publicly available website.
- Within one year after the report is published, the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs must incorporate findings on military sexual trauma and intimate partner violence as risk factors into their joint clinical practice guidelines for assessing and managing suicide risk.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill creates new reporting and guideline-update requirements. It does not amend or repeal any current statutes but adds specific duties for the two departments to address these risk factors in suicide prevention efforts.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: The Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense must allocate resources to conduct the study, prepare the report and briefing, and revise clinical guidelines.
- Citizens: Service members and veterans may benefit from improved suicide risk assessments that account for these experiences.
- No direct effects on international relations are outlined.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Service members of the Armed Forces and veterans
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Defense
- Congressional committees on Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The legislation imposes administrative obligations on executive agencies without altering constitutional authorities or creating new legal rights for individuals. It focuses solely on data collection and guideline revisions.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-23: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 2026-06-23: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Improving Personal Risk Assessments to Prevent Suicide Act — issued 2026-06-23 — PDF (3 pages)