[114th Congress Public Law 247]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 130 STAT. 996]]

Public Law 114-247
114th Congress

                                 An Act


 
  To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve the Veterans 
          Crisis Line. <<NOTE: Nov. 28, 2016 -  [H.R. 5392]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: No Veterans 
Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should 
Go Unanswered Act''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO VETERANS CRISIS LINE.

    (a) Quality Assurance Document.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall develop a quality assurance document to use in carrying out the 
Veterans Crisis Line. Such document shall--
            (1) outline clearly defined and measurable performance 
        indicators and objectives to improve the responsiveness and 
        performance of the Veterans Crisis Line, including at backup 
        call centers;
            (2) include quantifiable timeframes to meet designated 
        objectives to assist the Secretary in tracking the progress of 
        the Veterans Crisis Line and such backup call centers in meeting 
        the performance indicators and objectives specified in paragraph 
        (1); and
            (3) with respect to such timeframes and objectives, be 
        consistent with guidance issued by the Office of Management and 
        Budget.

    (b) Plan.--The Secretary shall develop a plan to ensure that each 
telephone call, text message, and other communications received by the 
Veterans Crisis Line, including at backup call centers, is answered in a 
timely manner by a person, consistent with the guidance established by 
the American Association of Suicidology. <<NOTE: Guidelines.>> Such plan 
shall include guidelines to carry out periodic testing of the Veterans 
Crisis Line, including such backup centers, during each fiscal year to 
identify and correct any problems in a timely manner.

    (c) Submission.-- <<NOTE: Deadline. Reports.>> Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate a report containing the document 
developed under subsection (a) and the plan developed under subsection 
(b).

[[Page 130 STAT. 997]]

    (d) Veterans Crisis Line Defined.--In this section, the term 
``Veterans Crisis Line'' means the toll-free hotline for veterans 
established under section 1720F(h) of title 38, United States Code.

    Approved November 28, 2016.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 5392:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 162 (2016):
            Sept. 26, considered and passed House.
            Nov. 16, considered and passed Senate.

                                  <all>