[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 152 (Thursday, September 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S5004]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. Tillis, and Mr. Merkley):
  S. 5558. A bill to direct the Secretary of Transportation to 
establish a grant program to facilitate the installation of evidence-
based suicide deterrents, including suicide prevention nets and 
barriers, on certain infrastructure, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the bipartisan 
Barriers to Suicide Act. This legislation would establish competitive 
grants to help State and local governments fund nets and barriers that 
have been shown to reduce suicide on bridges and other high-risk 
infrastructure.
  This bipartisan bill would establish a grant program for States and 
localities to apply for Federal funding under the National Highway 
Performance Program to install nets, barriers, and other evidence-based 
suicide deterrents on bridges, buildings, parking garages, highway-rail 
grade crossings, and at rail stations.
  This bill would also authorize a study to identify the types of 
structures most commonly used for suicide attempts, types of barriers 
that are most effective in prevention, and additional strategies to 
reduce jumping deaths.
  The CDC estimated that about 12.8 million people seriously thought 
about suicide, 3.7 million made a plan, and 1.5 million attempted 
suicide in 2023. There were over 49,000 deaths from suicide in 2023 and 
between 2010 and 2020, 11,154 Americans lost their lives through 
suicide-by-jumping.
  Research shows that physical barriers on bridges and high structures 
can reduce suicide deaths at those sites by up to 90 percent.
  States and localities should have access to a grant program that 
allows them to proactively prevent suicide-by-jumping by building 
safety nets and barriers on bridges, buildings, parking garages, and at 
rail stations and highway-rail grade rail crossings, with the goal of 
preventing suicides.
  I would like to thank Senator Tillis for introducing this important 
legislation with me, and I look forward to working with my colleagues 
to enact the Barriers to Suicide Act as soon as possible.
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