By MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has approved a bill aimed at reducing a suicide epidemic that claims the lives of 22 military veterans every day.
A bill named for Clay Hunt, a 26-year-old veteran who killed himself in 2011, was unanimously approved Monday.
The bill would require the Pentagon and the Veterans Affairs Department to submit to independent reviews of their suicide prevention programs and would establish a website to provide information on mental health services available to veterans. It also would offer financial incentives to psychiatrists who agree to work for the VA and assist veterans transitioning from active duty.
The House approved a similar bill last month, but the measure was blocked in the Senate by then-Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma.
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