[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 81 (Tuesday, May 11, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H2178-H2180]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUICIDE PREVENTION ACT
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2955) to authorize a pilot program to expand and intensify
surveillance of self-harm in partnership with State and local public
health departments, to establish a grant program to provide self-harm
and suicide prevention services in hospital emergency departments, and
for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2955
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 ``Suicide Prevention Act''.
SEC. 2. SYNDROMIC SURVEILLANCE OF SELF-HARM BEHAVIORS
PROGRAM.
Title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended by
inserting after section 317U of such Act (42 U.S.C. 247b-23)
the following:
``SEC. 317V. SYNDROMIC SURVEILLANCE OF SELF-HARM BEHAVIORS
PROGRAM.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award grants to
State, local, Tribal, and territorial public health
departments for the expansion of surveillance of self-harm.
``(b) Data Sharing by Grantees.--As a condition of receipt
of such grant under subsection (a), each grantee shall agree
to share with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
in real time, to the extent feasible and as specified in the
grant agreement, data on suicides and self-harm for purposes
of--
``(1) tracking and monitoring self-harm to inform response
activities to suicide clusters;
``(2) informing prevention programming for identified at-
risk populations; and
``(3) conducting or supporting research.
``(c) Disaggregation of Data.--The Secretary shall provide
for the data collected through surveillance of self-harm
under subsection (b) to be disaggregated by the following
categories:
``(1) Nonfatal self-harm data of any intent.
``(2) Data on suicidal ideation.
``(3) Data on self-harm where there is no evidence, whether
implicit or explicit, of suicidal intent.
``(4) Data on self-harm where there is evidence, whether
implicit or explicit, of suicidal intent.
``(5) Data on self-harm where suicidal intent is unclear
based on the available evidence.
``(d) Priority.--In making awards under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that are--
``(1) located in a State with an age-adjusted rate of
nonfatal suicidal behavior that is above the national rate of
nonfatal suicidal behavior, as determined by the Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
``(2) serving an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of
the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act)
with an age-adjusted rate of nonfatal suicidal behavior that
is above the national rate of nonfatal suicidal behavior, as
determined through appropriate mechanisms determined by the
Secretary in consultation with Indian Tribes; or
``(3) located in a State with a high rate of coverage of
statewide (or Tribal) emergency department visits, as
determined by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
``(e) Geographic Distribution.--In making grants under this
section, the Secretary shall make an effort to ensure
geographic distribution, taking into account the unique needs
of rural communities, including--
``(1) communities with an incidence of individuals with
serious mental illness, demonstrated suicidal ideation or
behavior, or suicide rates that are above the national
average, as determined by the Assistant Secretary for Mental
Health and Substance Use;
``(2) communities with a shortage of prevention and
treatment services, as determined by the Assistant Secretary
for Mental Health and Substance Use and the Administrator of
the Health Resources and Services Administration; and
``(3) other appropriate community-level factors and social
determinants of health such as income, employment, and
education.
``(f) Period of Participation.--To be selected as a grant
recipient under this section, a State, local, Tribal, or
territorial public health department shall agree to
participate in the program for a period of not less than 4
years.
``(g) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide
technical assistance and training to grantees for collecting
and sharing the data under subsection (b).
``(h) Data Sharing by HHS.--Subject to subsection (b), the
Secretary shall, with respect to data on self-harm that is
collected pursuant to this section, share and integrate such
data through--
``(1) the National Syndromic Surveillance Program's Early
Notification of Community Epidemics (ESSENCE) platform (or
any successor platform);
``(2) the National Violent Death Reporting System, as
appropriate; or
``(3) another appropriate surveillance program, including
such a program that collects data on suicides and self-harm
among special populations, such as members of the military
and veterans.
``(i) Rule of Construction Regarding Applicability of
Privacy Protections.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to limit or alter the application of Federal or
State law relating to the privacy of information to data or
information that is collected or created under this section.
``(j) Report.--
``(1) Submission.--Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the
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Secretary shall evaluate the suicide and self-harm syndromic
surveillance systems at the Federal, State, and local levels
and submit a report to Congress on the data collected under
subsections (b) and (c) in a manner that prevents the
disclosure of individually identifiable information, at a
minimum, consistent with all applicable privacy laws and
regulations.
``(2) Contents.--In addition to the data collected under
subsections (b) and (c), the report under paragraph (1) shall
include--
``(A) challenges and gaps in data collection and reporting;
``(B) recommendations to address such gaps and challenges;
and
``(C) a description of any public health responses
initiated at the Federal, State, or local level in response
to the data collected.
``(k) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this
section, there are authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.''.
SEC. 3. GRANTS TO PROVIDE SELF-HARM AND SUICIDE PREVENTION
SERVICES.
Part B of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 290aa et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``SEC. 520N. GRANTS TO PROVIDE SELF-HARM AND SUICIDE
PREVENTION SERVICES.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall award grants to hospital emergency departments
to provide self-harm and suicide prevention services.
``(b) Activities Supported.--
``(1) In general.--A hospital emergency department awarded
a grant under subsection (a) shall use amounts under the
grant to implement a program or protocol to better prevent
suicide attempts among hospital patients after discharge,
which may include--
``(A) screening patients for self-harm and suicide in
accordance with the standards of practice described in
subsection (e)(1) and standards of care established by
appropriate medical and advocacy organizations;
``(B) providing patients short-term self-harm and suicide
prevention services in accordance with the results of the
screenings described in subparagraph (A); and
``(C) referring patients, as appropriate, to a health care
facility or provider for purposes of receiving long-term
self-harm and suicide prevention services, and providing any
additional follow up services and care identified as
appropriate as a result of the screenings and short-term
self-harm and suicide prevention services described in
subparagraphs (A) and (B).
``(2) Use of funds to hire and train staff.--Amounts
awarded under subsection (a) may be used to hire clinical
social workers, mental and behavioral health care
professionals, and support staff as appropriate, and to train
existing staff and newly hired staff to carry out the
activities described in paragraph (1).
``(c) Grant Terms.--A grant awarded under subsection (a)--
``(1) shall be for a period of 3 years; and
``(2) may be renewed subject to the requirements of this
section.
``(d) Applications.--A hospital emergency department
seeking a grant under subsection (a) shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner,
and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may
require.
``(e) Standards of Practice.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall develop
standards of practice for screening patients for self-harm
and suicide for purposes of carrying out subsection
(b)(1)(C).
``(2) Consultation.--The Secretary shall develop the
standards of practice described in paragraph (1) in
consultation with individuals and entities with expertise in
self-harm and suicide prevention, including public, private,
and non-profit entities.
``(f) Reporting.--
``(1) Reports to the secretary.--
``(A) In general.--A hospital emergency department awarded
a grant under subsection (a) shall, at least quarterly for
the duration of the grant, submit to the Secretary a report
evaluating the activities supported by the grant.
``(B) Matters to be included.--The report required under
subparagraph (A) shall include--
``(i) the number of patients receiving--
``(I) screenings carried out at the hospital emergency
department;
``(II) short-term self-harm and suicide prevention services
at the hospital emergency department; and
``(III) referrals to health care facilities for the
purposes of receiving long-term self-harm and suicide
prevention;
``(ii) information on the adherence of the hospital
emergency department to the standards of practice described
in subsection (f)(1); and
``(iii) other information as the Secretary determines
appropriate to evaluate the use of grant funds.
``(2) Reports to congress.--Not later than 2 years after
the date of the enactment of the Suicide Prevention Act, and
biennially thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions of the
Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House
of Representatives a report on the grant program under this
section, including--
``(A) a summary of reports received by the Secretary under
paragraph (1); and
``(B) an evaluation of the program by the Secretary.
``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this
section, there are authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. PALLONE. 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. 2955.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2955, the Suicide
Prevention Act. This is among several bills being considered today that
is specifically aimed at suicide prevention. The reason for these
legislative efforts is that suicide is a devastating and preventable
tragedy that strikes far too many Americans; and there is legitimate
reason for us to be concerned that this preventable cause of death may
become worse as we fully uncover the impact of the pandemic on American
lives. We know that more people than ever are suffering from mental
health issues, and suicide is unfortunately a devastating consequence
of untreated mental illness.
So we have to act now to better understand the risk factors for
suicide and self-harm, train providers on how to better manage
patients, and improve our ability to detect suicide deaths and self-
harm in our communities. This bill does each of these things.
The Suicide Prevention Act, introduced by Representatives Stewart and
Matsui, will enhance collection and sharing of important data while
also providing funding for programs that train and equip emergency
department personnel in how to prevent suicide.
The bill also enables surveillance of self-harm to inform better
health strategies aimed at prevention, Madam Speaker. It also supports
emergency departments to better screen and treat high-risk patients,
and it also calls for development and deployment of best practices in
suicide prevention for all healthcare providers.
So, in closing, we know that suicide is one of the leading causes of
preventible death in the United States--particularly for young people--
and we have to act. I commend the work of the sponsors of this bill,
Representatives Stewart and Matsui, in creating this important bill. I
look forward to passing the bill today, and I hope that the Senate will
act on it swiftly.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2955, the
Suicide Prevention Act, spearheaded by Representatives Stewart and
Matsui.
This legislation establishes two grant programs to prevent self-harm
and suicide. The first grant program would train emergency room
personnel in suicide prevention strategies and screening. The bill also
establishes a grant program to enhance data collection and sharing of
suicide information to help save lives.
I thank my colleagues for bringing forward this important
legislation, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this
important initiative.
Madam Speaker, seeing no additional speakers, I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. In closing, Madam Speaker, again, this bill is part of
our strategy in prevention. I urge my colleagues to support it on a
bipartisan basis, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2955.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
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Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
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