Jeff City, MO – A bill making its way through the Missouri legislature has a goal of reducing veteran suicides in the state.
House Bill 132 would link the Missouri Veterans Commission to the Department of Mental Health to produce an annual report with recommendations to help suicidal veterans. Missouri ranks in the top five states in the country for vet suicides according to federal statistics, with 188 recorded in 2019.
State Rep. Dave Griffith of Jefferson City chairs the House Veterans Committee. He’s been trying to get the bill passed for the last few years.
“Even though the bill did not pass last year, a lot of the requirements and a lot of the stuff we needed to have done, [the Missouri Veterans Commission] is already doing,” Griffith said. “Their heart’s in the right place. My colleagues. I can tell you they get it, and they’re dealing with it.”
In the hearing, Griffith shared a 16-page report with testimony explaining how former soldiers with suicidal ideation often don’t speak up because they’re afraid of getting fired from their jobs after service.