US HB136

Secretary of Veterans Affairs must contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine within 90 days to review all veteran suicides over the preceding five-year period among veterans who received VA care

Review must document total deaths by suicide, violent death, and accidental death, with demographic breakdowns and comprehensive toxicology reports listing all prescribed medications, including those with black box warnings, psychotropic drugs, and off-label prescriptions

National Academies must analyze prescribing patterns for PTSD, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, and depressive disorders, comparing rates of non-medication first-line treatments (such as cognitive behavioral therapy) versus medication-only approaches

Review must assess VA mental health staffing levels, hiring impediments for counselors and therapists, and coordination with State Medicaid agencies and prescription drug monitoring programs

National Academies must complete the review and submit a report within 180 days; VA must then submit findings to congressional Veterans' Affairs committees and make the report public within 30 days