Legislative Analysis
Phone: (517) 373-8080
OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION
http://www.house.mi.gov/hfa
House Bill 5276 (H-1) as reported from committee Analysis available at
Sponsor: Rep. Jennifer A. Conlin http://www.legislature.mi.gov
House Bill 5277 (H-2) as reported
Sponsor: Rep. Christine Morse
House Bill 5279 (H-1) as reported
Sponsor: Rep. Felicia Brabec
House Bill 5280 (H-1) as reported House Bill 5720 as reported
Sponsor: Rep. William Bruck Sponsor: Rep. Robert J. Bezotte
Committee: Military, Veterans and Homeland Security
Complete to 6-13-24
SUMMARY:
House Bills 5276 to 5280 and 5720 would address veteran mental health and substance use
disorders as follows:
• House Bill 5276 would create a new act to create the Office of Mental Health and
Suicide Prevention in the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA).
• House Bill 5277 would amend the Michigan Military Act to allow the Department of
Health and Human Services (DHHS) to enter into an interagency agreement in
cooperation with the MVAA to conduct statewide outreach on mental health and
substance abuse support resources for service members and their families.
• House Bill 5279 would amend the Michigan Military Act to create a buddy-to-buddy
program.
• House Bill 5280 would amend the Michigan Military Act to require the Department of
Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to develop a program called the Transition
Bridge Program to help service members and veterans focus on mental health, well-
being, and suicide prevention.
• House Bill 5720 would create a new act to require the DMVA to ensure that mental
health and wellness resources are available to members of the National Guard and other
military services.
None of the bills could take effect unless all of them were enacted.
House Bill 5276 would create a new act, the Protecting Veterans Mental Health Act, which
would create the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in the Michigan Veterans
Affairs Agency. The director of the agency would have to appoint an individual with career
experience in veterans’ mental health and substance use disorders as the manager of the office.
The director could assign responsibilities to the manager in addition to those provided in the
act. The manager would report to any official designated by the director and would not be
exempt from state classified civil service.
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 Responsibilities of the manager
In addition to any other responsibilities granted to the office manager by the MVAA director,
the manager would have to oversee and supervise the Transition Bridge program proposed by
HB 5280 and, in conjunction with DHHS, the interagency agreement on mental health
resources created under HB 5277.
The manager could, at their discretion and with the MVAA director’s approval, delegate day-
to-day administrative or operational functions of the programs to other MVAA or DMVA
officials. However, the manager would retain the duties of supervising, data collecting, and
reporting (as described below) and would have to give final approval for implementing and
changing the programs and those assigned to the manager by the MVAA director.
The manager would serve as the public point of contact for service members, veterans, and the
families of service members, veterans, and other stakeholders on mental health, suicide
prevention, and related resources and information throughout Michigan’s service member and
veteran populations. The manager would also have to be a primary point of contact within the
MVAA and DMVA to ensure that programs, resources, and outreach efforts by the MVAA or
DMVA related to mental health and suicide prevention are designed and implemented in a way
that ensures they can increase awareness and improve outcomes for service members, veterans,
and their families.
Data collecting
The bill would require the office to collect data on all of the following in Michigan:
• Veteran mental health and substance use disorders, including statistics related to post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injuries, substance use disorder
(SUD) and addiction, and suicide and suicidal ideation.
• Efforts by DMVA to address veteran mental health and substance use disorders
described above.
• Efforts undertaken and data collected through the interagency agreement with DHHS
under HB 5277.
• The yearly strategic goals of the office.
• Use of the buddy-to-buddy program proposed by HB 5279.
The office would have to ensure, to the best of its ability, that data collected under the act is
timely and accurate, including data collected by the office for programs run by the office, the
MVAA, or DMVA, or data aggregated by reputable sources outside those entities.
Data collected under the act could not include personally identifying information.
Resource guide
The office would have to create and publish a mental health and wellness resource guide and
make it available at no cost upon request. The resource guide would have to include all of the
following:
• A self-assessment and scoring rubric (described below).
• Available mental health treatment resources and the following information for each
listed organization or provider:
o Its name, address, and phone number.
o Its website and email address, if applicable.
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 o A brief summary of services and resources it provides.
o A mental health signs and symptoms checklist.
The office could list any resource it considers beneficial in the resource guide, but would have
to include resources that are not connected directly or indirectly to the MVAA or DMVA. The
office would have to update the guide at least once every three years, or more often as needed.
Self-assessment and scoring rubric
The office would have to adopt a mental health self-assessment and scoring rubric that includes
questions allowing a military service member or veteran to have a basic and easy-to-understand
view of their current mental health status. The self-assessment would also have to contain a
disclaimer that it is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for a full evaluation
conducted by a licensed mental health or medical professional. The office could use an existing
product as the self-assessment and scoring rubric if it meets the requirements of the bill, or it
could design and create one that meets those requirements.
In addition to including the self-assessment and scoring rubric in the resource guide, the office
could offer it as a stand-alone resource at no cost.
Annual report
By March 1 of each year, the office would have to submit a report to the MVAA director and
the House and Senate standing committees on military and veterans affairs on the data it has
collected. The office also would have to specify the number of resource guides it distributes
each year and the types of organizations where the resource guides are distributed based on the
following (or similar) categories:
• Veteran service organizations.
• Local units of government.
• Nonprofit organizations.
• State or federal departments or agencies.
• Department or agency sections.
• For-profit businesses or organizations.
• Other.
Other provisions
The office could, upon appropriation, administer grants to local units of government, nonprofit
organizations, or other entities as per the MVAA director, in support of programs and resources
for service members and veterans consistent with the act.
A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of or retained by the MVAA, DMVA, or
office in the performance of an official function that contains information specific to an
individual member or veteran would not be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA).
House Bill 5277 would amend the Michigan Military Act to allow DHHS to enter into an
interagency agreement in cooperation with the MVAA to do all of the following:
• Conduct statewide outreach on mental health and substance use disorder support
resources for service members, veterans, and their families.
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 • Develop resources and materials to help families identify changes in a service
member’s or veteran’s mental health, including SUDs.
• Collect the information described in HB 5276.
DHHS would have to create and operate a program that provides resources and support for the
families of service members and veterans on navigating mental health and substance use
disorders for service members, veterans, and individuals affected by those mental health and
substance use disorders.
The MVAA could use an electronic or mobile platform to connect veterans, service members,
and their families to available services and resources under the interagency agreement
described above.
A writing prepared, owned, used, possessed, or retained by the MVAA or DHHS in the
performance of an official function that contains information specific to an individual member
or veteran would not be subject to disclosure under FOIA.
Proposed MCL 32.822
House Bill 5279 would amend the Michigan Military Act to require the MVAA to create and
operate a buddy-to-buddy program to offer personal one-on-one mentorship and support to
currently serving members of the military, including the Michigan National Guard or military
reserves, and veterans residing in Michigan. The MVAA director would have to designate an
official in the agency to oversee the program’s implementation and operation. The program
would have to include at least connecting individuals, through volunteer veteran mentors, to
benefits and resources related to education, employment, family-related issues, financial
matters and health care, as well as connecting them to advocates and veteran navigators who
can help with mental health and substance use disorders.
The MVAA would have to make every reasonable effort to recruit veterans to serve as mentors
for the program, but an individual who is not a veteran could serve in that role.
The MVAA could receive funding for the program from any source.
A writing prepared, owned, used, possessed, or retained by the MVAA or the Office of Mental
Health and Suicide Prevention in the performance of an official function that contains
information specific to an individual member or veteran would not be subject to disclosure
under FOIA.
Proposed MCL 32.823
House Bill 5280 would amend the Michigan Military Act to require DMVA to develop a
program called the Transition Bridge program for service members and veterans focused on
mental health, well-being, and suicide prevention. The manager of the Office of Mental Health
and Suicide Prevention would oversee and supervise the program.
DMVA could develop the program in conjunction with one or more government agencies or
appropriate nonprofit organization that have the primary mission of providing a holistic,
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 individualized approach to mental health and well-being through traditional and nontraditional
means. DMVA could also work with any stakeholders it considers necessary for the successful
design and launch of the program and contract with an appropriate government agency or
nonprofit organization to operate the program.
The following would apply to the program:
• The program would have to include information on at least all of the following:
o Warning signs for PTSD, depression, SUD, and suicide and suicidal ideation.
o Traditional mental health treatment resources offered to veterans.
o Alternative treatment options offered by federally licensed research centers.
o Additional alternative forms of treatment.
o Bridging the divide between military and civilian life and finding purpose in
civilian life.
• The program would have to be offered no fewer than four times a year and in a manner
similar to other military transition programs under federal law.
• Any individual who is an eligible member could participate. An eligible member would
have to enroll and complete the program within one year after their separation from
military service. (The manger of the office could waive this requirement.)
• The manager of the office would have to make every effort to ensure that the program
is available to each eligible member within two months before, and two months after,
their separation date from military service.
Eligible member would mean an individual who resides in Michigan and is serving in
or a veteran of any of the following:
• The Michigan National Guard.
• The U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, or Coast Guard,
including the reserve components, as an active duty or reserve member.
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer
Corps or the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, as a
commissioned officer.
DMVA would have to conduct outreach to offer the program to all members of the Michigan
National Guard who are exiting military service into civilian life.
DMVA would have to make the mental health and wellness resource guide created under
House Bill 5276 available to enrolled participants in the program.
Data collected under the bill could not include personally identifying information.
A writing prepared, owned, used, possessed, or retained by the DMVA or the Office of Mental
Health and Suicide Prevention in performance of official function that contains information
specific to an individual service member would not be subject to disclosure under FOIA.
Proposed MCL 32.821
House Bill 5720 would create a new act, the Michigan National Guard Access to Resources
Act, to require DMVA to ensure that mental health and wellness resources are available to
members of the National Guard and other military services.
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 Specifically, DMVA would have to ensure that members of the Michigan National Guard, and
other military service members residing in Michigan, have access to the mental health and
wellness resources guide created under House Bill 5276 at no cost in either or both of the
following formats:
• Print, in an easily accessible location or upon request.
• Electronically, on the department’s website.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The bills would result in new annual costs to the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency under the
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The additional costs would not be able to be
supported by existing ongoing appropriations. The primary costs of the bills would be related
to hiring staff, including the manager, to administer the responsibilities of the Office of Mental
Health and Suicide Prevention. Personnel costs are estimated at approximately $500,000.
Actual final costs would depend on personnel needs as determined by the agency. There would
be additional personnel costs related to administering any new grant programs, upon
appropriation, in addition to the agency’s existing suicide prevention grant programs, if new
grant programs are created as authorized under HB 5276.
There would also be additional ongoing costs under HB 5277 if the MVAA chose to utilize the
authorized electronic or mobile platform to connect eligible individuals with services and
resources. Costs to contract with a vendor to provide these technology services is not yet
known. There would also be likely additional costs under HB 5280 to contract with a public or
private organization for the Transition Bridge program.
POSITIONS:
Representatives of the following entities testified in support of the bills:
• Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (5-21-24)
• Reason for Hope (5-14-24 and 5-21-24)
• National Guard Association of Michigan (5-21-24)
The following entities indicated support for the bills:
• Department of Military and Veteran Affairs (5-21-24)
• American Legion Department of Michigan (6-11-24)
• Mental Health Association in Michigan (5-21-24)
• Michigan American Legion (5-21-24)
• Polish Legion of American Veterans (6-11-24)
• Veterans Coalition (5-