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Bill

S 4871

Improving Personal Risk Assessments to Prevent Suicide Act

119th Congress Introduced by Marsha Blackburn and 1 co-sponsor

The bill requires a VA/DOD report on how military sexual trauma and intimate partner violence affect suicide risk, then update clinical guidelines accordingly.

Introduced in Senate
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Bill Summary · S 4871

Overview

  • Bill: S.4871 – Improving Personal Risk Assessments to Prevent Suicide Act
  • Session: 119th Congress (United States)
  • Introduced: June 23, 2026 by Sen. Tina Smith (with Sen. Marsha Blackburn as co-sponsor)
  • Primary purpose: Require a report and briefing on how military sexual trauma (MST) and intimate partner violence (IPV) affect suicidal ideation and suicide risk among active-duty service members and veterans, and incorporate findings into clinical practice guidelines.

Key provisions

  • Section 2(a) – Report and briefing

    • Timeline: Within 18 months of enactment, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), in consultation with the Secretary of Defense (DOD), must:
    • Submit a report to the Senate and House Armed Services/Veterans’ Affairs committees.
    • Publish the report on a publicly accessible website.
    • Provide a briefing to the specified committees.
    • Content: The report must analyze how experiences of military sexual trauma and intimate partner violence influence risk of suicidal ideation and suicide among members of the Armed Forces and veterans.

  • Section 2(b) – Incorporation into clinical practice guidelines

    • Timeline: Not later than one year after the report is published.
    • Action: The Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs must incorporate findings on MST and IPV as risk factors for suicide and ideation into the Department of Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guidelines for Assessment and Management of Patients at Risk for Suicide, or into successor guidelines.

What would be affected

  • Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense clinical practice and risk assessment frameworks.
  • Mental health screening and suicide prevention protocols for service members and veterans.
  • Administrative reporting processes to Congress and public disclosure via the website.

Scope and impact

  • Focus: Military sexual trauma and intimate partner violence as determinants of suicide risk.
  • Practical effect: Creates a formal process to quantify and communicate the impact of MST/IPV on suicide risk and to formalize these factors within federal clinical guidelines, potentially altering assessment practices and resource allocation for prevention and support.

Procedural/timeline details

  • Enactment trigger: Upon passage and signing into law.
  • Reporting timeline: 18 months to deliver the report and briefing; 1 year after report publication to update clinical guidelines.
  • Public transparency: Report to be posted on a publicly accessible website.

Observations

  • The bill emphasizes accountability and integration of MST/IPV-related risk factors into federal suicide prevention guidelines.
  • It requires cross-agency collaboration between VA and DOD.
  • It does not create new funding or programs beyond the reporting and guideline-update requirements (at least as stated in the text provided).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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