Fostering TRUST Act of 2026

Notifications to Congress after veteran suicides

This bill would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify Congress when a veteran dies by suicide or attempts suicide at a VA facility or at a non-VA facility where VA furnishes care under section 1703. The VA would have to send an initial notice within seven days that names the event and the facility location. The VA would have to send a follow-up notice within 60 days with, if available and subject to privacy protections, veteran details such as VA enrollment status, the date and circumstances of the most recent encounter with VA or an authorized non-VA provider, other insurance (TRICARE, Medicare, or Medicaid), service branch and period, age, marital status, employment and housing status, gender identity, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, disability rating, and confirmation that immediate family were told about VA support they may be eligible for. Each notice would also have to include VA guidance to avoid sensationalism, describe warning signs, list VA resources like the Veterans Crisis Line and Vet Centers, and provide information on lethal means safety.