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RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS AND FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO SUPPORT PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP�S EXECUTIVE ORDER ON A NATIONAL ROADMAP TO EMPOWER VETERANS AND END SUICIDE

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WHEREAS, according to the most recent information available from the United States Census Bureau, in 2017, there were approximately 18.2 million veterans living in the nation; and
WHEREAS, these courageous men and women served in the Korean War, World War II, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and every other operation that has involved members of the United States Armed Forces, and during times of peace; and
WHEREAS, a number of veterans suffer from a wide range of mental or physical conditions, including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (�PTSD�), burns, loss of limbs, traumatic brain injuries, intermittent explosive disorder, suicidal thoughts and a host of other mental or physical disabilities, illnesses or disorders; and
WHEREAS, research shows that veterans suffer from some mental illnesses at higher rates than the general population; and
WHEREAS, for instance, while PTSD is not unique to veterans, veterans comprise a disproportionate amount of the population living with PTSD because of their increased exposure to traumatic situations; and
WHEREAS, statistics compiled by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (�VA�) indicate that 11 to 20 percent of veterans that served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, 12 percent of veterans that served in Desert Storm and 15 percent of veterans that served in the Vietnam War have PTSD, as compared to 7 to 8 percent of the general population; and
WHEREAS, in 2014, although veterans constituted 8.5 percent of the population, they accounted for 18 percent of all deaths from suicide among adults in the United States; and
WHEREAS, according to a 2016 report published by the VA, which reviewed records from every state in the nation and analyzed 55 million veterans� records from 1979 to 2014, approximately 20 veterans die from suicide every day; and
WHEREAS, in recent years, the VA has increased efforts to prevent suicide among current service members and veterans; unfortunately, the staggering number of such preventable deaths has remained constant; and
WHEREAS, on March 5, 2019, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order calling for federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments as well as private and non-profit entities to coordinate resources for the development and implementation of a comprehensive and holistic plan to better address and prevent veterans who may be suicidal; and
WHEREAS, further, the Executive Order recognizes that collective and innovative intervention efforts must be utilized as well the need for advancements in understanding the underlying causal factors of veteran suicide in order to end said self-inflicted deaths; and
WHEREAS, additionally, the Executive Order calls for the development of the President�s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (�PREVENTS�), which includes establishment of the Veteran Wellness, Empowerment, and Suicide Prevention Task Force (�Task Force�); and
WHEREAS, within 365 days of the date of the Executive Order, no later than March 4, 2020:
* the Task Force is charged with developing and submitting to the President a roadmap to empower veterans to pursue an improved quality of life, prevent suicide, prioritize related research activities, and strengthen collaboration across the public and private sectors;
* state and local governments are charged with submitting legislative proposals that establish a grant program for local communities, which would enable them to increase their capacity to collaborate and allow for service delivery integration and resource coordination for veterans; and
* the Task Force, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall also develop a national research strategy to improve the coordination, monitoring, benchmarking, and execution of public- and private-sector research related to factors that contribute to veteran suicide; and
WHEREAS, this Board recognizes the sacrifices veterans have made in service to our country and supports measures designed to prevent their deaths by suicide,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Urges the United States Congress and Florida Legislature to support President Donald J. Trump�s Executive Order on a National Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End Suicide.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to President Donald J. Trump, the Chair and Members of the Florida Congressional Delegation, the Senate President, House Speaker, and the Chair and the Members of the Miami-Dade County State Legislative Delegation and the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Section 3. Directs the County�s federal and state lobbyists to advocate for the legislative action set forth in Section 1 above, and authorizes and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to amend the 2019 Federal and State Legislative Packages to include this item.