AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine’s U.S. senators have joined a push to try to prevent suicide among members of the military.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins and independent Sen. Angus King said they’re helping introduce the Save Our Servicemembers Act, which is also called the SOS Act. The senators said military suicides increased by 15 percent last year.
The proposal would direct the Pentagon to evaluate the effectiveness of its suicide prevention efforts, the senators said. They said it would also seek to improve data collection and cut down red tape.
The senators said the proposal “will help ensure that our heroes can access the mental health resources they deserve and that no servicemember is left without the support we owe them.”
The proposal was co-sponsored by more than 30 senators and has the support of Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.
