H.R. 5995: Have You Served Act

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide grants to certain states (including U.S. territories and possessions and the District of Columbia), American Indian tribes, or Alaska Native tribes to carry out campaigns to encourage human services professionals, state and local governments, and community providers to ask consumers whether they or a loved one have served in the Armed Forces. To be eligible, a state, American Indian tribe, or Alaska Native tribe must develop and submit a veteran suicide prevention plan to the VA.

Such grants must be used for training about (1) how to appropriately ask consumers whether they or a loved one have served in the Armed Forces, and (2) resources available through the VA or other providers for members of the Armed Forces and veterans to encourage the trained individuals to refer consumers to such resources.

The VA must also develop a plan to work with each federal department and agency to implement similar campaigns.

Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.