[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 163 (Monday, September 21, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4631-H4633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT SUICIDE ACT

  Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4585) to require the Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention to conduct a national suicide prevention media 
campaign, and for other purposes, as amended.

[[Page H4632]]

  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4585

       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 ``Campaign to Prevent Suicide 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE.

       Section 520E-3(b)(2) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 290bb-36c(b)(2)) is amended by inserting after 
     ``suicide prevention hotline'' the following: ``, which, 
     beginning not later than one year after the date of the 
     enactment of the Campaign to Prevent Suicide Act, shall be a 
     3-digit nationwide toll-free telephone number,''.

     SEC. 3. NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION MEDIA CAMPAIGN.

       (a) National Suicide Prevention Media Campaign.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than the date that is three 
     years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this 
     section as the ``Secretary''), in coordination with the 
     Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use 
     (referred to in this section as the ``Assistant Secretary'') 
     and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention (referred to in this section as the ``Director''), 
     shall conduct a national suicide prevention media campaign 
     (referred to in this section as the ``national media 
     campaign''), in accordance with the requirements of this 
     section, for purposes of--
       (A) preventing suicide in the United States;
       (B) educating families, friends, and communities on how to 
     address suicide and suicidal thoughts, including when to 
     encourage individuals with suicidal risk to seek help; and
       (C) increasing awareness of suicide prevention resources of 
     the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the 
     Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 
     (including the suicide prevention hotline maintained under 
     section 520E-3 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     290bb-36c)), any suicide prevention mobile application of the 
     Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Substance 
     Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, and other 
     support resources determined appropriate by the Secretary.
       (2) Additional consultation.--In addition to coordinating 
     with the Assistant Secretary and the Director under this 
     section, the Secretary shall consult with, as appropriate, 
     State, local, Tribal, and territorial health departments, 
     primary health care providers, hospitals with emergency 
     departments, mental and behavioral health services providers, 
     crisis response services providers, first responders, suicide 
     prevention and mental health professionals, patient advocacy 
     groups, survivors of suicide attempts, and representatives of 
     television and social media platforms in planning the 
     national media campaign to be conducted under paragraph (1).
       (b) Target Audiences.--
       (1) Tailoring advertisements and other communications.--In 
     conducting the national media campaign under subsection 
     (a)(1), the Secretary may tailor culturally competent 
     advertisements and other communications of the campaign 
     across all available media for a target audience (such as a 
     particular geographic location or demographic) across the 
     lifespan.
       (2) Targeting certain local areas.--The Secretary shall, to 
     the maximum extent practicable, use amounts made available 
     under subsection (f) for media that targets individuals in 
     local areas with higher suicide rates.
       (c) Use of Funds.--
       (1) Required uses.--
       (A) In general.--The Secretary shall, to the extent 
     reasonably feasible with the funds made available under 
     subsection (f), carry out the following, with respect to the 
     national media campaign:
       (i) The purchase of advertising time and space, including 
     the strategic planning for, and accounting of, any such 
     purchase.
       (ii) Creative services and talent costs.
       (iii) Advertising production costs.
       (iv) Testing and evaluation of advertising.
       (v) Evaluation of the effectiveness of the national media 
     campaign.
       (vi) Operational and management expenses.
       (vii) The creation of an educational toolkit for television 
     and social media platforms to use in discussing suicide and 
     raising awareness about how to prevent suicide.
       (B) Specific requirements.--
       (i) Testing and evaluation of advertising.--In testing and 
     evaluating advertising under subparagraph (A)(iv), the 
     Secretary shall test all advertisements after use in the 
     national media campaign to evaluate the extent to which such 
     advertisements have been effective in carrying out the 
     purposes of the national media campaign.
       (ii) Evaluation of effectiveness of national media 
     campaign.--In evaluating the effectiveness of the national 
     media campaign under subparagraph (A)(v), the Secretary shall 
     take into account--

       (I) the number of unique calls that are made to the suicide 
     prevention hotline maintained under section 520E-3 of the 
     Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-36c) and assess 
     whether there are any State and regional variations with 
     respect to the capacity to answer such calls;
       (II) the number of unique encounters with suicide 
     prevention and support resources of the Centers for Disease 
     Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental 
     Health Services Administration and assess engagement with 
     such suicide prevention and support resources;
       (III) whether the national media campaign has contributed 
     to increased awareness that suicidal individuals should be 
     engaged, rather than ignored; and
       (IV) such other measures of evaluation as the Secretary 
     determines are appropriate.

       (2) Optional uses.--The Secretary may use amounts made 
     available under subsection (f) for the following, with 
     respect to the national media campaign:
       (A) Partnerships with professional and civic groups, 
     community-based organizations, including faith-based 
     organizations, and Government or Tribal organizations that 
     the Secretary determines have experience in suicide 
     prevention, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
     Services Administration and the Centers for Disease Control 
     and Prevention.
       (B) Entertainment industry outreach, interactive outreach, 
     media projects and activities, public information, news media 
     outreach, outreach through television programs, and corporate 
     sponsorship and participation.
       (d) Prohibitions.--None of the amounts made available under 
     subsection (f) may be obligated or expended for any of the 
     following:
       (1) To supplant current suicide prevention campaigns.
       (2) For partisan political purposes, or to express advocacy 
     in support of or to defeat any clearly identified candidate, 
     clearly identified ballot initiative, or clearly identified 
     legislative or regulatory proposal.
       (e) Report to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after 
     implementation of the national media campaign has begun, the 
     Secretary, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary and 
     the Director, shall, with respect to the first year of the 
     national media campaign, submit to Congress a report that 
     describes--
       (1) the strategy of the national media campaign and whether 
     specific objectives of such campaign were accomplished, 
     including whether such campaign impacted the number of calls 
     made to lifeline crisis centers and the capacity of such 
     centers to manage such calls;
       (2) steps taken to ensure that the national media campaign 
     operates in an effective and efficient manner consistent with 
     the overall strategy and focus of the national media 
     campaign;
       (3) plans to purchase advertising time and space;
       (4) policies and practices implemented to ensure that 
     Federal funds are used responsibly to purchase advertising 
     time and space and eliminate the potential for waste, fraud, 
     and abuse; and
       (5) all contracts entered into with a corporation, a 
     partnership, or an individual working on behalf of the 
     national media campaign.
       (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--For purposes of 
     carrying out this section, there is authorized to be 
     appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 
     through 2025.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Mrs. Dingell) and the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Gianforte) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 4585.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4585, the Campaign to 
Prevent Suicide Act. This legislation will further facilitate access to 
existing Federal resources on suicide prevention by creating a national 
suicide prevention media campaign to help raise awareness of the 
lifeline as well as advertise the new 988 number when it becomes 
available.
  Additionally, the Campaign to Prevent Suicide Act will also provide 
guidance to TV and social media companies on how effectively to 
communicate about suicide prevention through the creation of a media 
and best practices tool kit.
  Given the significant mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, 
ensuring that Americans have access to the support they need during 
these trying times is more important than ever. With multiple studies 
pointing to the pandemic's significant impact on mental health, 
including a fourfold increase in depression reported by the

[[Page H4633]]

CDC this summer, we cannot lose sight of this longstanding public 
health issue.
  I appreciate Representatives Beyer's and Gianforte's work on this 
legislation, which will provide resources for outreach on suicide 
prevention during a time when it is needed more than ever. We need to 
lift the stigma from people talking about this. It happens in every 
family and in every place.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of this bill, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4585, the Campaign to 
Prevent Suicide Act introduced by Representative Beyer and me. I want 
to thank my friend,  Don Beyer, for leading the effort on the bill.
  Our bill directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as 
well as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 
to conduct a national suicide prevention education campaign. This 
includes advertising the new 988 number for the National Suicide 
Prevention Lifeline.
  The measure also encourages individuals to engage people showing 
signs of suicidal behavior to provide them with the support that they 
need.
  We introduced this legislation to complement the efforts of both the 
legislation to designate 988 as the suicide hotline and Mr. Katko's 
legislation to ensure funding to implement the designation. These bills 
are badly needed by a nation working to emerge from an unprecedented 
health and economic crisis.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to come together here today and 
advance these bills, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer).
  Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to urge my colleagues to 
support the bipartisan bill, H.R. 4585, the Campaign to Prevent Suicide 
Act, that I introduced with my friend,   Greg Gianforte.
  September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and for that very 
reason, this bill couldn't be more important. Suicide is the 10th 
leading cause of death in the United States and the second leading 
cause of death for 15- to 34-year-olds. Overall suicide rates increased 
35 percent from 1999 through 2018.
  Suicide can be prevented, but unfortunately, it is still a taboo 
topic for much of American society. The stigma against discussing 
suicide and seeking help is a significant barrier to prevention. It is 
one of those things where if suicide happened in a family, then no one 
would ever talk about it.
  It is important to tackle this head-on. I can't tell you how many 
times I bring this up at an event--it is something that I have been 
working on with good friends like Greg--and there is this discomfort. 
People look away; they shuffle their feet; and some people slip out of 
the back of the room. Yet, every time at the end of the event people 
will come up and say: Thank you so much for talking about that. I lost 
my aunt. I lost my brother.
  Nobody talks about it. A change in social norms from a culture of 
avoidance to a culture of engagement is needed in order to ensure that 
those who need help can actually seek it.
  The United States Air Force has developed a similar initiative 
tailored to the Air Force in order to change the culture surrounding 
suicide, and researchers found that it is associated with a 33 percent 
drop in the relative risk reduction in suicide. This reflects the 
importance of engaging, but the second piece is knowing how to do it.
  The Federal Communications Commission has the new 988 number we all 
talked about, but of course, we have to tell people about it, which is 
why it is so time sensitive.
  The Campaign to Prevent Suicide would, number one, act to change the 
culture around suicide so Americans know to intervene rather than to 
ignore. Again, when I was growing up, you were not supposed to say, 
``Debbie, are you feeling suicidal?'' because you might give her the 
idea to do it. Now, we say, ``Debbie, do you feel like hurting 
yourself?'' or, ``Do you want to kill yourself?''
  I was so thrilled when I went to the emergency room last year. I got 
something in my eye. I just had something in my eye, and the first 
thing they said is: Do you feel like killing yourself?

  I thanked the nurse, and I thanked the doctor for making sure that I 
was okay.
  Of course, it will be an awareness campaign for the new 988 number, 
but also it will educate media and social media because the world has 
changed. Today, often it will be a Facebook post or a tweet or an 
Instagram that might be the first hint that somebody is thinking about 
killing themselves.
  We are dealing with a suicide epidemic made worse during the pandemic 
because the very stress of the pandemic exacerbated it for all of us. 
With 200,000 dead who are in the news all the time, we have a death 
anxiety that mostly only people in battle have. So, this is really, 
really important.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this good bipartisan 
bill to save lives and to save the enormous burden of grief that 
families feel.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Madam Speaker, in closing, I just want to thank my 
friend,  Don Beyer, again for his partnership on this and his real 
leadership.
  This is an important piece of legislation, Madam Speaker. I urge my 
colleagues to adopt it today, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I want to thank both of my colleagues 
for their leadership on this issue and for the willingness to talk 
about it publicly because we do need for people to acknowledge that it 
is a normal feeling, and it is okay. I have seen it in my own family 
and wish that we had been willing to talk about it before it had been 
too late.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4585, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to require 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a national 
suicide prevention media campaign, and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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