Sponsored by:
Assemblyman SAMUEL L. FIOCCHI
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Assemblyman ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywomen N.Munoz, B.DeCroce, Assemblyman Garcia, Assemblywoman Handlin, Assemblymen Giblin, Egan, Assemblywoman Simon, Assemblymen Rible, Peterson, Assemblywomen Angelini and Schepisi
SYNOPSIS
Urges President Obama sign Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging President Obama to sign the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act.
Whereas, Clay Hunt served in the Marines from May 2005 until his honorable discharge in April 2009, and was the recipient of a Purple Heart, one of the highest honors a service member can receive; and
Whereas, Even though Mr. Hunt suffered from post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) and survivor’s guilt, he worked with others coping with similar issues, participating in humanitarian work, biking events, advocacy campaigns, and public service campaigns; and
Whereas, While suffering from PTSD and survivor’s guilt, he utilized the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) exclusively for his medical care and constantly voiced concerns about the care he received, and the challenges he faced when scheduling appointments, as well as the treatment he received; and
Whereas, Despite Mr. Hunt’s proactive and open approach to seeking care to address his injuries, the VA did not adequately address his needs, treating him with medication after medication instead of counseling; and
Whereas, Mr. Hunt appealed his 30 percent disability rating from the VA and met with bureaucratic barriers including the VA losing his files; and
Whereas, Mr. Hunt was granted a 100 percent disability rating five weeks after his death by suicide at the age of 28, 18 months after filing the appeal; and
Whereas, The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act aims to help reduce military and veteran suicides and provide more access to quality mental health care through the VA; and
Whereas, The SAV act is designed to increase access to mental health care by, among other things, creating a peer support and community outreach pilot program to assist transitioning service members as well as a one-stop, interactive website of available resources; and
Whereas, The act is also designed to better meet the demand for mental health care for veterans by starting a pilot program to repay the loan debt of students in psychiatry so it is easier to recruit them to work at the VA; and
Whereas, The act is also designed to boost the accountability of mental health care by requiring an annual evaluation of VA mental health and suicide-prevention programs; and
Whereas, The Clay Hunt SAV Act has received bipartisan support in both houses of Congress, and Mr. Hunt’s story reflects the urgent need to address the issues facing our injured service members; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House urges President Obama to sign the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, each member of Congress elected from this State, and the Secretary of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
STATEMENT
Clay Hunt was a Marine veteran who died by suicide in March 2011 at the age of 28. He suffered from post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) and survivor’s guilt, yet worked tirelessly with others coping with similar issues by participating in humanitarian work, biking events, advocacy campaigns and public service campaigns. Despite Mr. Hunt’s proactive and open approach to seeking care to address his injuries, the VA system did not adequately address his needs, instead treating him with medication after medication rather than counseling.
Mr. Hunt received a 30 percent disability rating from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). He appealed the decision and was met with bureaucratic barriers including the VA losing his files. He was granted a 100 percent disability rating five weeks after his death, 18 months after filing the appeal.
The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act aims to help reduce military and veteran suicides and provide greater access to quality mental health care through the VA. The act is designed to increase access to mental health care by, among other things, creating a peer support and community outreach pilot program to assist transitioning service members as well as a one-stop, interactive website of available resources, by better meeting the demand for mental health care by starting a pilot program to repay the loan debt of students in psychiatry so it is easier to recruit them to work at the VA, and by boosting the accountability of mental health care by requiring an annual evaluation of VA mental health and suicide-prevention programs.
The Clay Hunt SAV Act has received bipartisan support in both houses of Congress and Mr. Hunt’s story reflects the urgent need to address the issues facing our injured service members.