# 119-s-1139: HOPE for Heroes Act of 2025

119-s-1139, HOPE for Heroes Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] (R-KS); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1139
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-1139
- Congress: 119
- Title: HOPE for Heroes Act of 2025
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-03-26
- Sponsor: Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] (R-KS)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Boosts funding and tightens coordination for VA suicide-prevention grants.** This bill would raise per-grantee base awards and add performance-based top-ups, require standardized screening and staff training, strengthen local coordination, and extend the program through September 30, 2030. - Veterans and families: Aims to improve continuity of care by requiring grantees to coordinate with local VA suicide prevention coordinators and by treating an individual as eligible for emergent suicide care if VA does not provide services within 72 hours. - Grantees: Would increase the base award to $1.0 million and authorize up to a $500,000 performance-based supplement, and would impose limits on administrative and food spending for grant funds. - VA staff and local medical centers: Directs the Secretary to provide training to Department employees on the grant program and requires at least quarterly briefings for VA medical centers within 100 miles of a grantee. - Program operations: Mandates the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale for new grantees, expands transportation support to include rideshare services, clarifies emergency treatment definitions, and extends the program authorization to 2030.

## Provisions PRIA read

- Bigger VA suicide prevention grants: benefit, high. This bill would raise the base maximum grant per provider from $750,000 to $1,000,000. The VA Secretary could give up to $500,000 more per grantee each year when a grantee meets a performance metric tied to intake completions, creating a possible $1,500,000 per grantee per year. Any grant would be…
- 72-hour emergency care trigger: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would say that if the VA does not provide mental or behavioral health services within 72 hours after a referral, the person would be treated as eligible for emergent suicide care under section 1720J. This creates an automatic eligibility trigger tied to that 72-hour window afte…
- Program authorization through 2030: benefit, medium. This bill would set the grant program's authorization to end on September 30, 2030, replacing the prior duration language. If enacted, the program would remain authorized and able to operate through that date.
- Required suicide screening and training: benefit, medium. If enacted, grants awarded on or after enactment would require use of the Columbia suicide-screening tool (C-SSRS). Grantee managers must be trained to use that tool. The VA Secretary would have to provide training to Department employees on the grant program. Grantees must work with the VA to make…
- Broadened risk definition and fixes: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would broaden the written definition of 'risk of suicide' to include listed health, environmental, or past factors 'to any degree.' It would also clarify that 'emergency treatment' means medical services and make small wording corrections. These are definitional and technical c…
- Paid rides and transport to appointments: benefit, low. If enacted, suicide prevention services under the grant program could explicitly include transportation and rideshare services for eligible individuals to use for appointments. This aims to reduce travel barriers to care but does not set funding amounts.

## Related bills

- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-2354: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026
- 119-s-4498: ABLE Tomorrow Act
- 119-s-933: NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act

## Sources
- [119-s-1139 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1139)

## Related
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3923)
- [119-s-2354: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2354)
- [119-s-4498: ABLE Tomorrow Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4498)
- [119-s-933: NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-933)
- [119-s-1748: Kids Online Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1748)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1139 (as of 2026-04-21).