A bill

 

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS SO AS TO ENACT THE "VETERAN SUICIDE AND MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS RESPONSE ACT"; AND BY ADDING SECTION 25-15-50 SO AS TO CREATE GUARANTEED IMMEDIATE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS ACCESS FOR VETERANS, ESTABLISH MOBILE VETERAN CRISIS RESPONSE TEAMS, REQUIRE SAME-DAY SUICIDE INTERVENTION CARE STATEWIDE, AND TO PROVIDE FOR FUNDING AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

 

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

 

SECTION 1.  This act may be cited as the "Veteran Suicide and Mental Health Crisis Response Act."

 

SECTION 2.  (A) The General Assembly finds:

       (1) South Carolina has one of the highest veteran suicide rates in the Southeastern United States, with significant increases among older veterans, rural veterans, and Black veterans who often face cultural, geographic, and stigma-based barriers to mental health care.

       (2) Current mental health access systems require referrals, waitlists, and long travel distances, which fail to meet the needs of veterans in crisis, resulting in preventable deaths.

       (3) Gratitude and symbolic recognition alone do not address this crisis. The State must build permanent, structural access pathways that ensure veterans can receive immediate, in-person crisis care when needed.

    (B) The purpose of this act is to provide a statewide, guaranteed crisis response infrastructure for veterans that eliminates waiting barriers, creates same-day care access, and deploys mobile crisis units to rural counties, ensuring no veteran is left without help when experiencing trauma or suicidal distress.

 

SECTION 3.  Chapter 15, Title 25 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 

    Section 25-15-50.  (A) Each county must designate at least one location where a veteran may receive same-day behavioral health crisis assessment and stabilization, without referral, appointment, or insurance verification. The location must be open from at least 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday and must accept Medicaid.

    (B) The Department of Mental Health, in coordination with the Department of Veterans' Affairs, shall establish Mobile Veteran Crisis Response Teams, staffed by licensed clinicians and veteran peer specialists. The response time must be in ninety minutes or less when feasible and priority must be given to rural counties and counties with a high suicide risk.

    (C) The General Assembly shall appropriate recurring funds to implement the provisions of this section.

 

SECTION 4.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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