Amendment ID: H3388-1

Amendment 1

Veterans Suicide Study

Mr. Tarr moves to amend the bill by inserting after section _ the following section:-

"SECTION_. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be established a Commission to Study and Recommend Strategies to Prevent Veteran Suicide (the Commission) to be chaired by the Secretary of Veterans' Services or the Secretary’s designee.

The commission shall consist of the following members, The Secretary of Veterans' Services, chair, or the Secretary’s designee; The Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the Secretary’s designee; The Commissioner of Public Health, or the Commissioner’s designee; The Commissioner of Mental Health, or the Commissioner’s designee; One representative of the Massachusetts National Guard, appointed by the Adjutant General; two veterans or military family members with lived experience related to behavioral health crisis or suicide, appointed by the Governor; One clinical expert in suicide prevention or veteran mental health from an academic medical center, appointed by the Governor; One representative of a statewide veterans service organization experienced in outreach and peer support, appointed by the Governor; One representative of community based behavioral health providers serving veterans, appointed by the Governor; One expert in public health data systems and surveillance, appointed by the Governor; One representative of behavioral health crisis services (including 988 or regional crisis providers), appointed by Governor.

The Commission shall examine, but not be limited to, the following areas: (a) conducting a statewide, review of current federal, state, municipal, and community resources for veterans and military connected family members, identifying gaps in access, fragmentation of services, and priority transition points for intervention; (b). analyze available quantitative and qualitative data on veteran suicide deaths, suicide attempts, crisis contacts (including 988), emergency department visits, overdose deaths, and related indicators to identify geographic, demographic, and service system disparities; (c). assess statutory, regulatory, and operational barriers to timely, privacy protected data sharing and recommend lawful, practicable mechanisms for rapid interagency information exchange and case escalation; (d). evaluate crisis response pathways (including 988, mobile crisis teams, emergency departments, law enforcement interactions, and VA crisis services) and recommend veteran specific triage, warm handoff, follow up, and continuity of care protocols; (e). Identify workforce, training, credentialing, and peer support needs and recommend strategies to recruit, retain, and credential providers in veteran competent, culturally responsive care; (f). Review evidence-based prevention, early intervention, and lethal means safety programs and recommend specific programs for statewide scaling and for targeted pilot implementation; (g). propose sustainable financing strategies and a realistic phased funding plan, identifying federal grants, state appropriations, public private partnerships, and reallocation opportunities; (h). develop clear performance metrics, evaluation designs, and an implementation timetable for each prioritized recommendation; and (i) conduct stakeholder engagement including regional listening sessions, targeted outreach to underserved veteran communities, and opportunities for written public comment.

The commission shall submit their findings and any legislative, or regulatory recommendations to the clerks of the house and senate, the joint committee mental health and substance use and the joint committee on veterans and federal affairs no later than December 31, 2026."