36-146. Veteran suicides; annual report; distribution

A. Beginning January 1, 2020, the department of health services shall annually compile a report on veteran suicides in this state that includes all of the following information:

1. The number and rate of veterans who died by suicide in this state's resident population for the most current complete calendar year.

2. Historic trends of veteran suicide rates and instances in this state's resident population covering at least the preceding five years.

3. Historic trends of rates and instances of the most common mechanism of suicide among this state's resident veterans.

4. An analysis of the years of potential life lost to suicide among this state's resident veterans.

5. Comparisons of this state's resident veteran suicide rate to the suicide rates of the nation and other regions of the country during the same time period as reported by the United States department of veterans affairs.

6. An analysis of the relative risk of suicide among this state's resident veterans, including demographic breakdowns by race or ethnicity, age group, gender and region of the state.

7. A regional distribution analysis of suicide patterns among this state's resident veterans that considers population density as a potential risk factor and informs the distribution of suicide prevention services within this state.

8. An analysis of patterns of drugs, or combinations of drugs, that were used by this state's resident veterans when drug poisoning was the mechanism of suicide.

9. An analysis of patterns of recent medical history of this state's resident veterans who died by suicide using data from the United States department of veterans affairs and from the Arizona health care cost containment system. Data linkage completed for this analysis shall be used to inform suicide prevention strategies based on medical risk factors that significantly correlate to suicide.

B. The report required by this section may not contain any identifiers that would make it possible to personally identify in any manner or under any circumstance an individual who died by suicide.

C. The department of veterans' services shall submit to the department of health services on a form prescribed by the department of health services all data, including protected health information, if necessary, in order for the department of health services to comply with this section.

D. The information and records acquired by the department of health services to create the report required by this section are confidential and are not subject to subpoena, discovery or introduction into evidence in any civil or criminal proceedings.

E. The department of health services shall provide the annual report required by this section to the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate and the department of veterans' services and shall provide a copy to the secretary of state.