Tester Introduces Bill to Address Rural Mental Health

On Sept. 25, as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month was in its final week, Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) introduced his new bill, the Seeding Rural Resistance Act.

The proposed legislation creates three initiatives designed to combat rising suicide rates. Acknowledging multiple barriers faced by farmers and ranchers seeking assistance, Tester said, “...they face isolation, they have to travel further to receive basic health services, they are less likely to be insured, and they may not know there are mental health resources available to them.”

Montana continues to retain the unenviable role of leading the nation in suicide rates. A study released by SeniorLiving.org in August of this year showed a statewide suicide rate of 29.8 suicides per 100,000 people, a 20 percent increase over the past two decades. Across the nation, the suicide rate is 45 percent higher in rural areas.

The bill will implement a Farmer-Facing Employee Training Program which requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide voluntary stress management training to Farm Service Agency, Risk Management Agency, and National Resources Conservation Service employees. As Tester explained in a press call announcing the bill, the program would train employees who regularly interact with farmers and ranchers in their communities to detect signs of stress and depression and intervene appropriately.

Secondly, the bill will form a partnership between USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services which, along with a $3 million investment, will create a PSA campaign in rural communities to both increase awareness of mental health issues related to farming and ranching and work towards reducing stigma around mental health care.

The third portion of the bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to collaborate with state, local and non-governmental stakeholders to determine best practices for responding to and caring for mental stress in agriculture producers.

Farmers and ranchers have been facing a particularly turbulent time as tariffs, the trade war with China and extreme weather has drastically impacted production and sales. Bankruptcies across the Midwest have increased as farmers struggle to balance their books and the resulting financial difficulties are a key contributor to stress.

In the press call on Sept. 25, Tester also discussed how employees who interact face-to-face with farmers and ranchers, such as those at the Farm Service Agency, are uniquely situated to recognize signs of stress in producers, noting that such employees are community members with many years in the areas in which they work and also implement programs producers use regularly. Tester said these employees are in a unique position to “connect producers with available resources that are out there.”

Recognizing that this is not a total solution to combatting rising suicide numbers, the Senator maintains this is an important step, to be taken in conjunction with other work to increase access to necessary healthcare. Tester also discussed his work on improving rural broadband and high-speed internet which will allow more utilization of telehealth services. Video calls allow health care professionals an opportunity to see the patient, observe facial expressions and body language, which improves the ability to make diagnoses and implement treatment options.

Tester said he would now be seeking to introduce the bill to the appropriate committee, whether that would be in the agriculture or health committee. After that, the bill will continue along the traditional routes to becoming a law. Asked if he foresees any opposition to the bill, Tester name-checked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as a potential obstacle given his stated position of limiting bills making their way to the Senate floor.