[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 36 (Monday, February 28, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H1158-H1159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SUICIDE TRAINING AND AWARENESS NATIONALLY DELIVERED FOR UNIVERSAL 
                         PREVENTION ACT OF 2021

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 1543) to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide best 
practices on student suicide awareness and prevention training and 
condition State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and 
Tribal educational agencies receiving funds under section 520A of such 
Act to establish and implement a school-based student suicide awareness 
and prevention training policy.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 1543

       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 Training and 
     Awareness Nationally Delivered for Universal Prevention Act 
     of 2021'' or the ``STANDUP Act of 2021''.

     SEC. 2. STUDENT SUICIDE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION TRAINING.

       (a) In General.--Title V of the Public Health Service Act 
     is amended by inserting after section 520A of such Act (42 
     U.S.C. 290bb-32) the following:

     ``SEC. 520B. STUDENT SUICIDE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION 
                   TRAINING.

       ``(a) In General.--In awarding funds under section 520A, 
     the Secretary shall give priority to applications under such 
     section from a State educational agency, local educational 
     agency, or Tribal educational agency, submitted directly or 
     through a State or Indian Tribe, for funding for activities 
     in secondary schools, where such agency has implemented, or 
     includes in such application a plan to implement, a student 
     suicide awareness and prevention training policy, which may 
     include applicable youth suicide early intervention and 
     prevention strategies implemented through section 520E--
       ``(1) establishing and implementing a school-based student 
     suicide awareness and prevention training policy in 
     accordance with subsection (c);
       ``(2) consulting with stakeholders (including principals, 
     teachers, parents, local Tribal officials, and other relevant 
     experts) and, as appropriate, utilizing information, models, 
     and other resources made available by the Suicide Prevention 
     Technical Assistance Center authorized under section 520C in 
     the development of the policy under paragraph (1); and
       ``(3) collecting and reporting information in accordance 
     with subsection (d).
       ``(b) Consideration.--In giving priority to applicants as 
     described in subsection (a), the Secretary shall, as 
     appropriate, take into consideration the incidence and 
     prevalence of suicide in the applicable jurisdiction and the 
     costs of establishing and implementing, as applicable, a 
     school-based student suicide awareness and prevention 
     training policy.
       ``(c) School-Based Student Suicide Awareness and Prevention 
     Training Policy.--A school-based student suicide awareness 
     and prevention training policy implemented pursuant to 
     subsection (a)(1) shall--
       ``(1) be evidence-based;
       ``(2) be culturally- and linguistically-appropriate;
       ``(3) provide evidence-based training to students in grades 
     6 through 12, in coordination with school-based mental health 
     resources, as applicable, regarding--
       ``(A) suicide prevention education and awareness, including 
     associated risk factors;
       ``(B) methods that students can use to seek help; and
       ``(C) student resources for suicide awareness and 
     prevention; and
       ``(4) provide for periodic retraining of such students.
       ``(d) Collection of Information and Reporting.--Each State 
     educational agency, local educational agency, and Tribal 
     educational agency that receives priority to implement a new 
     training policy pursuant to subsection (a)(1) shall report to 
     the Secretary the following aggregated information, in a 
     manner that protects personal privacy, consistent with 
     applicable Federal and State privacy laws:
       ``(1) The number of trainings conducted, including the 
     number of student trainings conducted, and the training 
     delivery method used.
       ``(2) The number of students trained, disaggregated by age 
     and grade level.
       ``(3) The number of help-seeking reports made by students 
     after implementation of such policy.
       ``(e) Evidence-Based Program Availability.--The Secretary 
     shall coordinate with the Secretary of Education and the 
     Secretary of the Interior to--
       ``(1) make publicly available the policies established by 
     State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and 
     Tribal educational agencies pursuant to this section and the 
     training that is available to students and teams pursuant to 
     such policies, in accordance with section 543A; and
       ``(2) provide technical assistance and disseminate best 
     practices on student suicide awareness and prevention 
     training policies, including through the Suicide Prevention 
     Technical Assistance Center authorized under section 520C, as 
     applicable, to State educational agencies, local educational 
     agencies, and Tribal agencies.
       ``(f) Implementation.--Not later than September 30, 2024, 
     the Secretary shall report to the Committee on Health, 
     Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives the number of recipients of funds under 
     section 520A who have implemented training policies described 
     in subsection (a)(1) and a summary of the information 
     received under subsection (d).
       ``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) The term `evidence-based' has the meaning given such 
     term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965.

[[Page H1159]]

       ``(2) The term `local educational agency' has the meaning 
     given to such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965.
       ``(3) The term `State educational agency' has the meaning 
     given to such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965.
       ``(4) The term `Tribal educational agency' has the meaning 
     given to the term `tribal educational agency' in section 6132 
     of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.''.

     SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       The amendment made by this Act shall apply only with 
     respect to applications for assistance under section 520A of 
     the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-32) that are 
     submitted after the date of enactment of this Act.

  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. Mr. 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 S. 1543.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1543, the Suicide Training 
and Awareness Nationally Delivered for Universal Prevention Act, also 
known as the STANDUP Act.
  Americans are facing a growing mental health crisis, and that crisis 
is hitting our Nation's youth particularly hard right now. While the 
challenges of COVID-19 amplified this crisis, children and young people 
in the U.S. have been experiencing rising rates of mental health 
conditions and suicide for years, particularly among youth of color and 
LGBTQI+ young people.
  Between 2008 and 2018, the suicide rate among adolescents and young 
people increased by nearly 60 percent. Today, Mr. Speaker, suicide is 
the second leading cause of death among children and young people 
between the ages of 10 and 24.
  Black youth are nearly twice as likely as White youth to die by 
suicide, and the rate of suicide amongst American Indian and Alaska 
Native youth is 2\1/2\ times the overall national average. Meanwhile, 
the suicide rate among young Hispanic women increased dramatically in 
the decade leading up to the pandemic.
  Additionally, LGBTQI+ youth are at greater risk for depression and 
suicide. According to a 2020 survey, 50 percent of LGBTQ youth 
considered attempting suicide in the prior year.
  All of these trends are alarming, so much so that pediatric experts 
have declared the state of children's mental health a national 
emergency. Last December, Surgeon General Murthy issued an advisory on 
the youth mental health crisis.
  Today, the House is continuing its critical work of considering 
legislation to address the crisis. The STANDUP Act would require State 
and Tribal education agencies to establish and implement a suicide 
awareness and prevention training policy for middle- and high-school 
students. The policy would be required for any agency receiving funding 
through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 
or SAMHSA's Project AWARE funds, and it would need to be evidence 
based, as well as culturally and linguistically appropriate.

                              {time}  1530

  Last May, Mr. Speaker, we passed the House companion of this bill 
with bipartisan support here on the House floor after it passed out of 
the Energy and Commerce Committee last Congress. I commend the lead 
House sponsors of the bill, Representatives Peters and Bilirakis, for 
their leadership on this issue.
  As chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I strongly support 
legislation that will help bring awareness and promote best practices 
on suicide prevention among our Nation's youth.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 1543, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. GUTHRIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of S. 1543, the Suicide Training and 
Awareness Nationally Delivered for Universal Prevention Act, or STANDUP 
Act.
  The House version of this bill, H.R. 586, was led by Representative 
Scott Peters along with Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues 
Bilirakis, Blunt Rochester, Upton, and Tonko. It passed this Chamber 
unanimously last May.
  This legislation helps promote suicide awareness and facilitates 
prevention training for students and young Americans. For the last 
decade, suicide has been the second-leading cause of death for 
Americans ages 10 to 24 and the 10th leading cause of overall deaths in 
the United States.
  Initiatives that empower students with knowledge of the warning signs 
and resources for prevention can help in preventing suicide, which this 
legislation will help to accomplish.
  The pandemic has greatly impacted the mental health of Americans 
across the country. It is critical that we continue addressing these 
growing challenges and work to prevent youth suicide while promoting 
the mental wellness of all.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill. It is 
bipartisan, and again, we would be sending it to the President with our 
action today.
  Mr. Speaker, 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, S. 1543.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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