[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 158 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5661-S5662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6105. Ms. MURKOWSKI submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
to amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) 
and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 7900, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2023 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. PROGRAM TO IMPROVE THE CARE PROVIDED TO PATIENTS IN 
                   THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WHO ARE AT RISK OF 
                   SUICIDE.

       Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new section:

     ``SEC. 399V-7. PROGRAM TO IMPROVE THE CARE PROVIDED TO 
                   PATIENTS IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WHO ARE AT 
                   RISK OF SUICIDE.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a program 
     (in this section referred to as the `Program') to improve the 
     identification, assessment, and treatment of patients in 
     emergency departments who are at risk for suicide, including 
     by--
       ``(1) developing policies and procedures for identifying 
     and assessing individuals who are at risk of suicide; and
       ``(2) enhancing the coordination of care for such 
     individuals after discharge.
       ``(b) Grant Establishment and Participation.--
       ``(1) In general.--In carrying out the Program, the 
     Secretary shall award grants on a competitive basis to not 
     more than 40 eligible health care sites described in 
     paragraph (2).
       ``(2) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under this 
     section, a health care site shall--
       ``(A) submit an application to the Secretary at such time, 
     in such manner, and containing such information as the 
     Secretary may specify;
       ``(B) be a hospital (as defined in section 1861(e) of the 
     Social Security Act);
       ``(C) have an emergency department; and
       ``(D) deploy onsite health care or social service 
     professionals to help connect and integrate patients who are 
     at risk of suicide with treatment and mental health support 
     services.
       ``(3) Preference.--In awarding grants under this section, 
     the Secretary may give preference to eligible health care 
     sites described in paragraph (2) that meet at least one of 
     the following criteria:
       ``(A) The eligible health care site is a critical access 
     hospital (as defined in section 1861(mm)(1) of the Social 
     Security Act).

[[Page S5662]]

       ``(B) The eligible health care site is a sole community 
     hospital (as defined in section 1886(d)(5)(D)(iii) of the 
     Social Security Act).
       ``(C) The eligible health care site is operated by the 
     Indian Health Service, by an Indian Tribe or Tribal 
     organization (as such terms are defined in section 4 of the 
     Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act), or 
     by an urban Indian organization (as defined in section 4 of 
     the Indian Health Care Improvement Act).
       ``(D) The eligible health care site is located in a 
     geographic area with a suicide rate that is higher than the 
     national rate, as determined by the Secretary based on the 
     most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention.
       ``(c) Period of Grant.--A grant awarded to an eligible 
     health care site under this section shall be for a period of 
     at least 2 years.
       ``(d) Grant Uses.--
       ``(1) Required uses.--A grant awarded under this section to 
     an eligible health care site shall be used for the following 
     purposes:
       ``(A) To train emergency department health care 
     professionals to identify, assess, and treat patients who are 
     at risk of suicide.
       ``(B) To establish and implement policies and procedures 
     for emergency departments to improve the identification, 
     assessment, and treatment of individuals who are at risk of 
     suicide.
       ``(C) To establish and implement policies and procedures 
     with respect to care coordination, integrated care models, or 
     referral to evidence-based treatment to be used upon the 
     discharge from the emergency department of patients who are 
     at risk of suicide.
       ``(2) Additional permissible uses.--In addition to the 
     required uses listed in paragraph (1), a grant awarded under 
     this section to an eligible health care site may be used for 
     any of the following purposes:
       ``(A) To hire emergency department psychiatrists, 
     psychologists, nurse practitioners, counselors, therapists, 
     or other licensed health care and behavioral health 
     professionals specializing in the treatment of individuals at 
     risk of suicide.
       ``(B) To develop and implement best practices for the 
     follow-up care and long-term treatment of individuals who are 
     at risk of suicide.
       ``(C) To increase the availability of, and access to, 
     evidence-based treatment for individuals who are at risk of 
     suicide, including through telehealth services and strategies 
     to reduce the boarding of these patients in emergency 
     departments.
       ``(D) To offer consultation with and referral to other 
     supportive services that provide evidence-based treatment and 
     recovery for individuals who are at risk of suicide.
       ``(e) Reporting Requirements.--
       ``(1) Reports by grantees.--Each eligible health care site 
     receiving a grant under this section shall submit to the 
     Secretary an annual report for each year for which the grant 
     is received on the progress of the program funded through the 
     grant. Each such report shall include information on--
       ``(A) the number of individuals screened in the site's 
     emergency department for being at risk of suicide;
       ``(B) the number of individuals identified in the site's 
     emergency department as being--
       ``(i) survivors of an attempted suicide; or
       ``(ii) are at risk of suicide;
       ``(C) the number of individuals who are identified in the 
     site's emergency department as being at risk of suicide by a 
     health care or behavioral health professional hired pursuant 
     to subsection (d)(2)(A);
       ``(D) the number of individuals referred by the site's 
     emergency department to other treatment facilities, the types 
     of such other facilities, and the number of such individuals 
     admitted to such other facilities pursuant to such referrals;
       ``(E) the effectiveness of programs and activities funded 
     through the grant in preventing suicides and suicide 
     attempts; and
       ``(F) any other relevant additional data regarding the 
     programs and activities funded through the grant.
       ``(2) Report by secretary.--Not later than one year after 
     the end of fiscal year 2027, the Secretary shall submit to 
     Congress a report that includes--
       ``(A) findings on the Program;
       ``(B) overall patient outcomes achieved through the 
     Program;
       ``(C) an evaluation of the effectiveness of having a 
     trained health care or behavioral health professional onsite 
     to identify, assess, and treat patients who are at risk of 
     suicide; and
       ``(D) a compilation of policies, procedures, and best 
     practices established, developed, or implemented by grantees 
     under this section.
       ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for 
     the period of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.''.
                                 ______