[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3079 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3079

     To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for suicide 
    prevention activities with respect to children and adolescents.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 20, 2000

   Mr. Hatch introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for suicide 
    prevention activities with respect to children and adolescents.

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

SECTION 1. SUICIDE PREVENTION.

    Subpart 3 of part B of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 290bb-31 et seq) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 520C. SUICIDE PREVENTION FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award grants, contracts, or 
cooperative agreements to States, political subdivisions of States, 
Indian tribes, tribal organizations, public organizations, or private 
nonprofit organizations to establish programs to reduce suicide deaths 
in the United States among children and adolescents.
    ``(b) Collaboration.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall ensure that activities under this section are coordinated among 
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the 
relevant institutes at the National Institutes of Health, the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services 
Administration, and the Administration on Children and Families.
    ``(c) Requirements.--A State, political subdivision of a State, 
Indian tribe, tribal organization, public organization, or private 
nonprofit organization desiring a grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement under this section shall demonstrate that the suicide 
prevention program such entity proposes will--
            ``(1) provide for the timely assessment, treatment, or 
        referral for mental health or substance abuse services of 
        children and adolescents at risk for suicide;
            ``(2) be based on best evidence-based, suicide prevention 
        practices and strategies that are adapted to the local 
        community;
            ``(3) integrate its suicide prevention program into the 
        existing health care system in the community including primary 
        health care, mental health services, and substance abuse 
        services;
            ``(4) be integrated into other systems in the community 
        that address the needs of children and adolescents including 
        the educational system, juvenile justice system, welfare and 
        child protection systems, and community youth support 
        organizations;
            ``(5) use primary prevention methods to educate and raise 
        awareness in the local community by disseminating evidence-
        based information about suicide prevention;
            ``(6) include suicide prevention, mental health, and 
        related information and services for the families and friends 
        of those who completed suicide, as needed;
            ``(7) provide linguistically appropriate and culturally 
        competent services, as needed;
            ``(8) provide a plan for the evaluation of outcomes and 
        activities at the local level, according to standards 
        established by the Secretary, and agree to participate in a 
        national evaluation; and
            ``(9) ensure that staff used in the program are trained in 
        suicide prevention and that professionals involved in the 
        system of care have received training in identifying persons at 
        risk of suicide.
    ``(d) Use of Funds.--Amounts provided under grants, contracts, or 
cooperative agreements under subsection (a) shall be used to supplement 
and not supplant other Federal, State, and local public funds that are 
expended to provide services for eligible individuals.
    ``(e) Condition.--An applicant for a grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement under subsection (a) shall demonstrate to the 
Secretary that the applicant has the support of the local community and 
relevant public health officials.
    ``(f) Special Populations.--In awarding grants, contracts, and 
cooperative agreements under subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure 
that such awards are made in a manner that will focus on the needs of 
communities or groups that experience high or rapidly rising rates of 
suicide.
    ``(g) Application.--A State, political subdivision of a State, 
Indian tribe, tribal organization, public organization, or private 
nonprofit organization receiving a grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement under subsection (a) shall prepare and submit an application 
to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may reasonably require. Such application 
shall include a plan for the rigorous evaluation of activities funded 
under the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, including a 
process and outcome evaluation.
    ``(h) Distribution of Awards.--In awarding grants, contracts, and 
cooperative agreements under subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure 
that such awards are distributed among the geographical regions of the 
United States and between urban and rural settings.
    ``(i) Evaluation.--A State, political subdivision of a State, 
Indian tribe, tribal organization, public organization, or private 
nonprofit organization receiving a grant, contract, or cooperative 
agreement under subsection (a) shall prepare and submit to the 
Secretary at the end of the program period, an evaluation of all 
activities funded under this section.
    ``(j) Dissemination and Education.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
findings derived from activities carried out under this section are 
disseminated to State, county and local governmental agencies and 
public and private nonprofit organizations active in promoting suicide 
prevention and family support activities.
    ``(k) Duration of Projects.--With respect to a grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement awarded under this section, the period during 
which payments under such award may be made to the recipient may not 
exceed 5 years.
    ``(l) Study.--Within 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
section, the Secretary shall, directly or by grant or contract, 
initiate a study to assemble and analyze data to identify--
            ``(1) unique profiles of children under 13 who attempt or 
        complete suicide;
            ``(2) unique profiles of youths between ages 13 and 21 who 
        attempt or complete suicide; and
            ``(3) a profile of services which might have been available 
        to these groups and the use of these services by children and 
        youths from paragraphs (1) and (2).
    ``(m) Authorization of Appropriation.--
            ``(1) In general.--For purposes of carrying out this 
        section, there is authorized to be appropriated $75,000,000 for 
        fiscal year 2001 and such sums as may be necessary for each of 
        the fiscal years 2002 and 2003.
            ``(2) Program management.--In carrying out this section, 
        the Secretary shall use 1 percent of the amount appropriated 
        under paragraph (1) for each fiscal year for managing programs 
        under this section.''.
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