[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1448 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1448

 To establish the National Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth Suicide 
                  Prevention, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 5, 1995

   Mr. Kerry introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
         referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the National Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth Suicide 
                  Prevention, and for other purposes.

    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 (referred to in 
this Act as the ``Commission'').

SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Number and Appointment.--The Commission shall be composed of 31 
members appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 
Members of the Commission shall include 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. Any vacancy in the Commission shall not 
affect the powers of the Commission, but shall be filled in the same 
manner as the original appointment.
    (c) Meetings.--The Commission shall, during a 6-month period, meet 
with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and advise various 
offices within the Department of Health and Human Services on an 
ongoing basis.
    (d) Chairperson.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
select a chairperson for the Commission from among the members of the 
Commission.

SEC. 4. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

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

SEC. 5. REPORTS.

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

SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

    (a) Information From Federal Agencies.--The Commission may secure 
directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the 
Commission considers necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. 
Upon request of the Chairperson of the Commission, the head of such 
department or agency shall furnish such information to the Commission.
    (b) Postal Services.--The Commission may use the United States 
mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other 
departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
    (c) Use of Voluntary and Uncompensated Services.--Notwithstanding 
section 1342 of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services is authorized to accept voluntary and uncompensated 
services in furtherance of the purposes of this Act.

SEC. 7. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.

    (a) Compensation.--Members of the Commission shall serve on the 
Commission without compensation.
    (b) Travel Expenses.--The members of the Commission shall be 
allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at 
rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of 
chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes 
or regular places of business in the performance of services for the 
Commission.
    (c) Detail of Government Employees.--Any Federal Government 
employee may be detailed to the Commission without reimbursement, and 
such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service 
status or privilege.
    (d) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The 
Chairperson of the Commission may procure temporary and intermittent 
services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates 
for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual 
rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5316 of such title.

SEC. 8. SUNSET PROVISION.

    The Commission shall terminate 6 months after the date of the first 
meeting of the Commission.
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