WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representatives Zach Nunn (IA-03) and Seth Magaziner (RI-02) introduced a bipartisan bill that would help servicemembers transition to civilian life by providing them with the tools to improve their mental health, resolve service-related mental health challenges, and reduce veteran suicide.
The Daniel J. Harvey and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act is named in memory of two Marines who served in Afghanistan together, Iowa’s Corporal Adam Lambert from Adel and Rhode Island’s Lance Corporal Daniel J. Harvey of Johnston. Both men tragically lost their lives to suicide within a year of leaving the military.
“America is the land of the free and home of the brave because of people like Cpl. Adam Lambert. A proud Marine from Iowa, Adam raised his hand to serve our country,” said Rep. Nunn. “Unfortunately, too often the transition back to civilian life is more difficult than it should be. In honor of Adam’s memory, I’m grateful to work with Adam’s parents to make the transition easier for America’s veterans by improving mental health services.”
The suicide rate triples for veterans in the first 12 months following their separation from the military. In Iowa, the veteran suicide rate is four times higher than the national average. Often times, veterans are unaware of the support offered to them through the Department of Veteran Affairs and Department of Defense.
“Our nation has a sacred duty to care for Veterans when they return from service, and that starts with recognizing that the most serious wounds of war are not always visible from the outside,” said Rep. Magaziner. “This bipartisan bill improves the VA Solid Start program and DOD Transition Assistance Program by increasing awareness of these mental health resources for servicemembers transitioning to civilian life. This is a necessary and long overdue step toward addressing a mental health crisis that has taken far too many lives.”
This bipartisan legislation would require pre-separation programs provided by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to increase mental health support for transitioning service members. Specifically, the bill:
- Adds provisions to the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) to combat PTSD, depression, substance abuse, loneliness, and other service-related mental health conditions.
- Strengthens the existing Solid Start Program to increase education for veterans about mental health programs that are available to them.
“Cpl. Adam Lambert and Lance Cpl. Daniel Harvey Jr. exemplified what it means to serve our country with honor. We should never forget their sacrifices and ensure their struggles after returning home are met with the support and care they deserve,” said Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor. “We thank Representative Zach Nunn, member of the For Country Caucus, for introducing this crucial legislation that provides mental health resources for veterans during the critical transition to civilian life, helping prevent the tragedies we’ve seen all too often. We are proud to support this bill, which honors their memories and works to make a meaningful difference for all those who served.”
This bill passed the House unanimously in the 118th Congress and was included in the House-passed FY25 National Defense Authorization Act.
Text of the bill can be found here.
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