COLUMBUS – The Ohio Senate has passed Senate Resolution 21, calling on Congress to enhance mental health treatment for veterans across the nation. The resolution, sponsored by State Senator Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), urges federal lawmakers to ensure timely and comprehensive care for those who have served in the military.
“This is an issue that was brought to my attention by one of my constituents who is a veteran,” said Schaffer. “When it comes to our nation’s military personnel and veterans, we should expect complete and full medical care for those men and women who sacrificed their health and well-being in service to their country.”
According to the United Service Organizations, Inc. (USO), suicide rates among active-duty military personnel reached a historic high in 2021, surpassing combat-related deaths by a staggering margin. Research from Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs reveals that since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, 30,177 military personnel and veterans have died by suicide—more than four times the number killed in combat operations.
Senate Resolution 21 urges the U.S. Congress to take stronger action by ensuring that only qualified and licensed medical professionals with expertise in treating military-related conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), provide care to veterans. The resolution also calls on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to broaden eligibility criteria for healthcare benefits, advocating that any honorably or generally discharged veteran should have access to essential medical services.
With growing concerns over mental health challenges among those who have served, Ohio lawmakers are making it clear: veterans deserve better, and action is needed now.
