Data Driven Suicide Prevention and Outreach Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Representative Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7]
Introduced
Summary
AI-driven predictive model to identify suicide risk among veterans. This bill would create a Department of Veterans Affairs grant program to fund nonprofit, academic, and private groups to build and test models that pinpoint suicide risk factors and support targeted outreach.
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- Veterans and families: Veterans could get earlier, targeted outreach if models are adopted for VA use. Grantees must make models and findings available to the Secretary for VA-wide evaluation and possible deployment.
- Researchers and local partners: Nonprofits, universities, and private research organizations are eligible to apply. The Secretary must select at least two grantees and gives priority to groups with experience in government health systems and ties to areas with high veteran suicide rates.
- VA operations and data: Awarded models must integrate Veterans Benefits Administration records, including military service data, with Veterans Health Administration clinical data. Grantees must meet federal cybersecurity and interoperability standards and the program authority would end on September 30, 2029.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New suicide-risk AI pilot for veterans
This bill would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to start a pilot grant program within one year of enactment. The program would fund at least two grantees to build artificial intelligence models that evaluate suicide risk factors for veterans. Priority would go to applicants in areas with high veteran suicide rates, high Crisis Line call rates, or long VA mental health wait times. Grantees would need to show AI and health-data protection experience, link Veterans Benefits Administration service records with VA clinical data, and would not be required to transfer model ownership to the VA. The VA's authority to run the pilot would end September 30, 2029.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7]
PA • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]
NJ • D
Sponsored 4/23/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov