VA Zero Suicide Demonstration Project Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill creates a five-year pilot program called the Zero Suicide Initiative at five VA medical centers. The program uses a proven curriculum to train staff on how to better identify and treat veterans at risk of suicide.
• Staff at each chosen VA site will go through at least ten weeks of suicide care education. Five to ten staff leaders per site will attend the Zero Suicide Academy and then train other workers on screening, risk assessment, safety planning, and care transitions.
• The VA must pick five medical centers for the pilot, with at least one serving veterans in rural or remote areas. Site selection will consider factors like local veteran suicide rates, geographic variety, and hospital size.
• Each year, the VA must report to Congress comparing suicide-related outcomes at pilot sites versus other VA hospitals. This includes tracking suicide attempts, deaths, screening rates, and emergency room use.
• After five years, the VA will issue a final report with recommendations on whether to expand the program to more sites or make it permanent. The Secretary can extend the pilot for up to two additional years if needed.