[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 152 (Thursday, September 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S5006]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 899--RECOGNIZING SUICIDE AS A SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH 
  PROBLEM AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF SEPTEMBER AS 
                 ``NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH''

  Mr. MURPHY (for himself, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Reed, Mr. Peters, Mrs. 
Capito, and Mr. Justice) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Health, Education , Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 899

       Whereas suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the 
     United States and the second leading cause of death among 
     individuals between 10 and 34 years of age;
       Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention (referred to in this preamble as the ``CDC''), 1 
     individual in the United States dies by suicide every 11 
     minutes, resulting in around 49,000 deaths each year in the 
     United States;
       Whereas, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 
     6,400 veterans die by suicide annually, the equivalent of 
     nearly 18 veteran suicides per day;
       Whereas, between 2001 and 2024, the suicide rate in the 
     United States increased by 28 percent from 10.7 suicides for 
     every 100,000 individuals to 13.7 suicides for every 100,000 
     individuals;
       Whereas it is estimated that there are approximately 
     2,200,000 suicide attempts each year in the United States;
       Whereas more than half of individuals who die by suicide 
     did not have a known mental health condition;
       Whereas, according to the CDC, many factors contribute to 
     suicide among individuals with and without known mental 
     health conditions, including challenges related to 
     relationships, substance use, physical health, and stress 
     regarding work, money, legal problems, or housing;
       Whereas, according to the CDC, suicide results in an 
     estimated $500,000,000,000 each year in combined medical 
     costs, the impact of lives cut short, lost work, and quality 
     of life costs in the United States; and
       Whereas the stigma associated with mental health conditions 
     and suicidality hinders suicide prevention by discouraging 
     at-risk individuals from seeking life-saving help and can 
     further traumatize survivors of suicide loss and individuals 
     with lived experience of suicide: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes suicide as a serious and preventable public 
     health problem of the United States and each State;
       (2) supports the designation of September as ``National 
     Suicide Prevention Month'';
       (3) declares suicide prevention as a priority;
       (4) acknowledges that no single suicide prevention program 
     or effort will be appropriate for all populations or 
     communities;
       (5) promotes awareness that there is no single cause of 
     suicide; and
       (6) supports strategies to increase access to high-quality 
     mental health and suicide prevention services and substance-
     use disorder treatments.

                          ____________________