[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 609 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 609

 To establish the National Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth Suicide 
                              Prevention.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 20, 1995

  Mr. Meehan (for himself, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Miller of 
  California, Mr. Filner, Mrs. Maloney, and Mr. Brown of California) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the National Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth Suicide 
                              Prevention.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Gay and Lesbian Youth Suicide 
Prevention Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established a commission to be known as the ``National 
Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth Suicide Prevention'' (in this Act 
referred to as the ``Commission'').

SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--The Commission shall combat the epidemic of 
suicide among gay and lesbian youth, who account for 30 percent of 
completed youth suicides as reported by the United States Department of 
Health and Human Services in the 1989 ``Report of the Secretary's 
TaskForce on Youth Suicide''. The Commission shall advise the 
Department of Health and Human Services and other Federal and State 
youth service agencies concerning how to include the concerns of gay 
and lesbian youth within existing suicide prevention policies, 
programs, and research.
    (b) Goals of Commission.--The goals of the Commission shall be to--
            (1) work to include the concerns of gay and lesbian youth 
        within existing suicide prevention programs at the national and 
        State level;
            (2) develop and make specific recommendations to the 
        Department of Health and Human Services and other relevant 
        Federal and State agencies about how to stem the epidemic of 
        gay and lesbian youth suicide;
            (3) work to expand current research on youth suicide to 
        include gay and lesbian youth; and
            (4) work to amend existing youth suicide policies, 
        guidelines, and programs to include gay and lesbian youth.

SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 30 
members appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 
Members shall include, but not be limited to, professionals and experts 
in the field of youth suicide prevention.
    (b) Terms.--Each member of the Commission shall be appointed for 
the life of the Commission.
    (c) Basic Pay and Expenses.--
            (1) Pay.--Members shall serve without pay.
            (2) Expenses.--Each member shall receive travel expenses, 
        including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with 
        sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States Code.
    (d) Meetings.--The Commission shall meet quarterly with the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services and advise various departments 
within the Department of Health and Human Services on an ongoing basis.

SEC. 5. REPORTS.

    (a) Interim Reports.--The Commission shall submit an annual report 
to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Commission shall 
conduct regional public hearings around the United States to gather 
information from youths, family members, and professionals about the 
problem of gay youth suicide on an ongoing basis.
    (b) Final Report.--The Commission shall transmit a final report to 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The final report shall 
contain a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of the 
Commission.
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