131321.
(a) The department shall establish the Ending Military and Veteran Suicide Task Force within the Office of Suicide Prevention to systematically reduce, on an annual basis, military and veteran suicides and to provide a plan by June 1, 2025, for the elimination of all military and veteran suicides in the state by January 1, 2030. The task force shall recommend comprehensive strategies
aimed at addressing suicide among military members and veterans in California and shall recommend ways to establish and execute plans and programs to implement those strategies.(b) The task force shall consist of all of the following:
(1) Stakeholders from the Military Department’s mental health,
chaplaincy, and other programs tasked with morale and welfare.
(2) The Department of Veterans Affairs shall provide one representative.
(3) The department shall invite representatives from the United States Department of Defense and each of the armed services.
(4) The department shall invite other veterans service organizations, state and local mental health officials, and researchers with relevant subject matter expertise.
(c) The department shall support the task force and ensure the task force is able to carry out its duties. The department may use its existing resources to absorb the task force’s costs in implementing this subdivision. The
department may accept and expend funds from nongovernmental sources for its work with the task force.
(d) The task force shall, at a minimum, meet quarterly. The task force may meet virtually.
(e) Members of the task force shall receive no compensation for participation in the task force and shall not receive any per diem.
(f) (1) The department shall submit a report to the Governor and
the Legislature by June 1,
2025, and annually thereafter, that includes all of the following:
(A) An analysis of the plans, activities, strategies, and programs undertaken pursuant to the task force’s recommendations and their effects on reducing military and veteran suicides in the state. This part of the report shall include a specific set of near-, intermediate-, and long-term benchmarks that can be used to measure the state’s progress toward the goal of eliminating military and veteran suicides by January 1, 2030.
(B) A survey and analysis of existing programs currently available from
federal, state, and local governmental and nongovernmental agencies that deal with suicide, military suicide, and veteran suicide.
(C) An analysis of the success achieved by each program that can lead to recommendations from the task force on how California can eliminate the military and veteran suicide problem.
(D) An analysis of the factors of alienation, strained relationships, finances, family disruptions, and career challenges associated with suicidal ideation and how to provide services to address those factors as experienced by military members, California National Guard members who live in geographically diverse areas that are far from military bases and mental health care facilities, and veterans.
(2) A
report to be submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.