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Senate passes suicide prevention act for veterans

By Danielle Haynes
The Senate on Tuesday passed legislation to help curtail the number of veteran suicides in the United States. File photo by Sgt. J.A. Moeller/U.S. Army
The Senate on Tuesday passed legislation to help curtail the number of veteran suicides in the United States. File photo by Sgt. J.A. Moeller/U.S. Army | License Photo

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- The Senate passed legislation Tuesday to help lower the number of veteran suicides in the United States.

The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act was passed by the Senate 99-0. It had already been passed by the House of Representatives and now heads to the White House to be signed into law.

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The act is named after Clay Hunt, a Marine veteran who was shot in the wrist and had post-traumatic stress disorder after he was discharged in 2009. He advocated for better mental health treatment for veterans before killing himself in 2011.

"We are extremely grateful for the Senate passing this bill and all those who have worked so hard on it. While we are a little bittersweet, because it is too late for our son Clay, we are thankful knowing that this bill will save many lives," Susan Selke, Hunt's mother, said in a statement. "No veteran should have to wait or go through bureaucratic red tape to get the mental health care they earned during their selfless service to our country. While this legislation is not a 100 percent solution, it is a huge step in the right direction."

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The legislation would give veterans better access to mental healthcare, create a website for veterans to obtain information about mental health services and form a community outreach program to help veterans make the transition from life in the service to their homes. It would also evaluate mental healthcare and suicide prevention practices by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and make recommendations to the department.

A report by the VA in 2013 estimated 22 U.S. veterans die each day of suicide.

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