[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5413 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5413

To require the Secretary of Education to issue a rule requiring schools 
to implement protocols for suicide prevention, postvention, and trauma-
                             informed care.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 12, 2023

    Mr. Nunn of Iowa (for himself and Mrs. Peltola) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
                             the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Education to issue a rule requiring schools 
to implement protocols for suicide prevention, postvention, and trauma-
                             informed care.

    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 ``Prevent Youth Suicide Act''.

SEC. 2. RULES ON PROTOCOLS FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION AT ANY EDUCATIONAL 
              AGENCY OR INSTITUTION SERVING STUDENTS IN GRADES 6 
              THROUGH GRADE 12.

    (a) Rule.--Not later than 210 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Education shall issue a rule requiring, as a 
condition of receipt of funds under an applicable program, that an 
educational agency or institution carry out each of the following:
            (1) School-based suicide prevention protocols.--The 
        development and implementation of evidence-based suicide 
        prevention programs tailored to the needs of students, which 
        shall include--
                    (A) biennial, evidence-based training for staff and 
                faculty to--
                            (i) identify signs of distress and risk 
                        factors for suicide in students; and
                            (ii) in a case in which a student has been 
                        identified as exhibiting such signs or risk 
                        factors, guidelines for reporting such 
                        identification to parents and guidance 
                        counselors, and responding to concerns from 
                        such parents and counselors;
                    (B) establishing a referral system to connect 
                students in need to appropriate mental health resources 
                at school and outside of school; and
                    (C) conducting awareness campaigns and educational 
                initiatives to reduce stigma associated with seeking 
                help for mental health concerns.
            (2) Suicide postvention support.--The development and 
        implementation of a suicide postvention plan to address the 
        aftermath of a suicide, focusing on providing support to 
        affected students, staff, and the broader community, which 
        shall include--
                    (A) guidelines for communication, memorialization, 
                and resources for grief counseling; and
                    (B) collaboration with mental health professionals 
                and community organizations to ensure comprehensive 
                postvention support.
            (3) Trauma-informed care.--The adoption of a trauma-
        informed approach in policies and practices to create a safe 
        and supportive environment for all students, which shall 
        include the provision of biennial trauma-sensitive training for 
        school staff to help such staff understand the potential impact 
        of trauma on students and to promote appropriate responses.
    (b) Additional Requirements for the Secretary of Education.--
            (1) Technical assistance.--The Secretary shall provide each 
        educational agency or institution subject to the rule issued 
        under subsection (a) with the resources, guidelines, and 
        technical assistance to comply with the requirements of such 
        rule.
            (2) Compliance monitoring.--The Secretary shall establish 
        to ensure compliance with the rule issued under subsection (a), 
        which shall include periodic assessments, evaluations, and 
        audits of each such educational agency or institution.
            (3) Feedback and improvement.--The Secretary shall--
                    (A) encourage educational agencies and institutions 
                to provide feedback to the Secretary on the 
                effectiveness of the requirements issued under the 
                rule; and
                    (B) review such feedback and make necessary 
                revisions to such rule.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Applicable program.--The term ``applicable program'' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 400 of the General 
        Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1221).
            (2) Educational agency or institution.--The term 
        ``educational agency or institution'' means an educational 
        agency or institution (as defined in section 444(a)(3) of the 
        General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g)) that serves 
        students in any grade from grade 6 through grade 12, as 
        determined under State law.
            (3) Parent.--The term ``parent'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (5) Suicide postvention.--The term ``suicide postvention'' 
        means activities and support provided after a suicide has 
        occurred, designed to help individuals cope with the loss, 
        minimize potential negative impacts, and prevent contagion.
            (6) Suicide prevention.--The term ``suicide prevention'' 
        means comprehensive strategies and actions aimed at identifying 
        individuals at risk of suicide, providing appropriate 
        interventions, and fostering a supportive environment to reduce 
        the likelihood of suicidal behavior.
            (7) Trauma-informed care.--The term ``trauma-informed 
        care'' means an approach based on an understanding of the 
        vulnerabilities and triggers of individuals who have 
        experienced trauma, recognize the role trauma has played in the 
        lives of those individuals, recognize the presence of trauma 
        symptoms and their onset, are supportive of trauma recovery, 
        and avoid further traumatization.
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