A bill sponsored by an Iowa congressman to address the plea of an Iowa veteran was signed into law last night (Monday) by President Obama. Congressman David Young of Van Meter sponsored the “No Veterans Crisis Line Call Should Go Unanswered Act.” Young calls it “critical mental health legislation for our veterans and service members.” In a written statement. Young thanked members of congress and the president for getting the bill “across the finish line.”

The law requires the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department to ensure calls made to its suicide hotline are returned in a timely manner. Young drafted the legislation after a veteran who had tried to call the hotline, but couldn’t get through, contacted a member of his congressional staff for help. Young says soldiers “who have sacrificed in defense of our freedoms deserve the best quality mental health care possible.”

(Radio Iowa)