Senate Bill No. 245, introduced by Senator Myers, aims to enhance mental health treatments for veterans by requiring the Louisiana Department of Health, specifically the office of behavioral health, to develop a comprehensive veteran suicide prevention plan. This plan will focus on connecting veterans to ongoing, barrier-free care and implementing non-traditional, high-impact interventions designed to rapidly stabilize symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The bill mandates that the Louisiana Department of Health submit this suicide prevention plan to the legislature by January 1, 2027. The effective date for this legislation is set for August 1, 2026.