H. Rept. 116-520 - SUICIDE PREVENTION ACT116th Congress (2019-2020)
Committee Report
Hide Overview| Report Type: | House Report |
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| Accompanies: | H.R.5619 |
| Committees: | House Energy and Commerce Committee |
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116th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 116-520
======================================================================
SUICIDE PREVENTION ACT
_______
September 18, 2020.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Pallone, from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 5619]
The Committee on Energy and Commerce, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 5619) 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, having
considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an
amendment and recommends that the bill as amended do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
I. Purpose and Summary..............................................4
II. Background and Need for the Legislation..........................4
III. Committee Hearings...............................................5
IV. Committee Consideration..........................................5
V. Committee Votes..................................................5
VI. Oversight Findings...............................................6
VII. New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures6
VIII.Federal Mandates Statement.......................................6
IX. Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............6
X. Duplication of Federal Programs..................................6
XI. Committee Cost Estimate..........................................6
XII. Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits......7
XIII.Advisory Committee Statement.....................................7
XIV. Applicability to Legislative Branch..............................7
XV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation...................7
XVI. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............8
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
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 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 2021 through 2025.''.
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 2021 through 2025.''.
I. Purpose and Summary
H.R. 5619, the ``Suicide Prevention Act'', was introduced
on January 15, 2020, by Representatives Chris Stewart (R-UT)
and Doris O. Matsui (D-CA). H.R. 5619 establishes two grant
programs to help prevent self-harm and suicide. The bill
requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the
Secretary) to award grants to State, local, Tribal, and
territorial health departments to expand surveillance of self-
harm. The bill also requires the Secretary to award grants to
hospital emergency departments for programs to prevent self-
harm and suicide attempts among patients after discharge.
II. Background and Need for Legislation
The United States does not currently have a complete count
of suicide attempts.\1\ It is, however, estimated that 0.5
percent of the adults aged 18 or older (1.4 million adults)
made at least one suicide attempt.\2\ According to recent data,
suicide is also among the leading causes of death in the
Nation.\3\ In 2018, 10.7 million adults seriously contemplated
suicide, 3.3 million of whom made suicide plans, and 1.4
million made a nonfatal suicide attempt.\4\ Available data
suggest that adult females reported a suicide attempt 1.5 times
as often as males; further breakdown by gender and race are not
available.\5\ H.R. 5619 would enhance data collection for
State, local, Tribal, and territorial health departments and
community organizations in order to help recognize suicide
trends, intervene earlier, and save lives.
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\1\https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/
\2\https://www.samhsa.gov/data/release/2018-national-survey-drug-
use-and-health-nsduh-releases
\3\National Center for Health Statistics, Leading Causes of Death
(www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm) (accessed June
5, 2020).
\4\U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Mental Health
Myths and Fact (www.mentalhealth.gov) (accessed June 6, 2020).
\5\Id.
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According to the American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention, emergency departments present a key opportunity to
identify and treat the individuals at the highest and most
immediate risk for suicide because 39 percent of people who die
by suicide make an emergency department visit in the year prior
to their deaths.\6\ Further, studies indicate that the risk of
a suicide attempt or death is highest within the first 30 days
after discharge from an emergency department or inpatient
psychiatric unit.\7\ Yet for many reasons, up to 70 percent of
patients who leave the emergency department after a suicide
attempt never attend their first outpatient follow-up
appointment.\8\ H.R. 5619 would provide grants to emergency
departments to establish or enhance their self-harm and suicide
prevention services.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\https://project2025.afsp.org/
\7\Knesper, D.J. (2010). Continuity of care for suicide prevention
and research: Suicide attempts and suicide deaths subsequent to
discharge from the emergency department or psychiatry inpatient unit.
Newton, MA: Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
\8\Id.
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III. Committee Hearings
For the purposes of section 103(i) of H. Res. 6 of the
116th Congress, the following hearing was used to develop or
consider H.R. 5619:
The Subcommittee on Health held a legislative hearing on
June 30, 2020, entitled, ``High Anxiety and Stress: Legislation
to Improve Mental Health During Crisis'' to consider H.R. 5619,
the ``Suicide Prevention Act''. The Subcommittee received
testimony from the following witnesses:
The Honorable Patrick J. Kennedy, Founder of
the Kennedy Forum and former Member of Congress;
Arthur C. Evans, Jr. Ph.D., Chief Executive
Officer, American Psychological Association;
Jeffrey L. Geller, M.D., M.P.H., President,
American Psychiatric Association; and
Ms. Arriana Gross, National Youth Advisory
Board Member, Sandy Hook Promise Students Against
Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Promise Club.
IV. Committee Consideration
H.R. 5619, the ``Suicide Prevention Act'', was introduced
by Representative Stewart (R-UT) and Matsui (D-CA) on January
15, 2020 and was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce. The bill was then referred to the Subcommittee on
Health on January 16, 2020. On June 30, 2020, the Subcommittee
held a legislative hearing on the bill.
On July 15, 2020, the Subcommittee on Health was discharged
from further consideration of H.R. 5619 as the bill was called
up for markup, pursuant to notice, by the full Committee on
Energy and Commerce. During consideration and markup an
amendment in the nature of a substitute (AINS) was offered by
Ms. Matsui of California. The Matsui AINS was agreed to by a
voice vote. The full Committee subsequently agreed to a motion
on final passage offered by Mr. Pallone, Chairman of the
committee, to order H.R. 5619 reported favorably to the House,
amended, by a voice vote, a quorum being present.
V. Committee Votes
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires the Committee to list each record vote
on the motion to report legislation and amendments thereto. The
Committee advises that there were no record votes taken on H.R.
5619, including the motion on final passage of the bill.
VI. Oversight Findings
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause 2(b)(1)
of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
oversight findings and recommendations of the Committee are
reflected in the descriptive portion of the report.
VII. New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures
Pursuant to 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House
of Representatives, the Committee adopts as its own the
estimate of new budget authority, entitlement authority, or tax
expenditures or revenues contained in the cost estimate
prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office
pursuant to section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974.
The Committee has requested but not received from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office a statement as to
whether this bill contains any new budget authority, spending
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in
revenues or tax expenditures.
VIII. Federal Mandates Statement
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act.
IX. Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general
performance goal or objective of this legislation is to expand
and intensify surveillance of self-harm in partnership with
State, local, Tribal, and territorial public health departments
and to improve suicide prevention resources in hospital
emergency departments.
X. Duplication of Federal Programs
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII, no provision of
H.R. 5619 is known to be duplicative of another Federal
program, including any program that was included in a report to
Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 or the
most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.
XI. Committee Cost Estimate
Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII, the Committee
adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
XII. Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits
Pursuant to clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI, the
Committee finds that H.R. 5619 contains no earmarks, limited
tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits.
XIII. Advisory Committee Statement
No advisory committee within the meaning of section 5(b) of
the Federal Advisory Committee Act was created by this
legislation.
XIV. Applicability to Legislative Branch
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
XV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation
Section 1. Short title
Section 1 designates that the short title may be cited as
the ``Suicide Prevention Act''.
Sec. 2. Syndromic surveillance of self harm behaviors program
Section 2 amends the Public Health Service Act to direct
the Secretary of Health and Human Services (the Secretary) to
award grants to State, local, Tribal, and territorial public
health departments for expansion of self-harm surveillance.
Further, section 2 requires recipients of such grants to share
these data with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) for the purposes of nationwide tracking and monitoring on
self-harm in order to inform prevention programming and
research. These data shall be disaggregated by nonfatal self-
harm data; data on suicidal ideation; and data on suicidal
intent.
In awarding these grants, the Secretary shall give priority
to eligible entities serving locations or populations with
higher than national average rates of nonfatal suicidal
behavior. The Secretary shall also try to ensure geographic
distribution of funding is considered, including to communities
with a shortage of prevention and treatment services. Grant
recipients shall agree to participate in the program for no
less than four years, and the Secretary shall provide technical
assistance and training to grantees on collecting and sharing
data. No later than 3 years after the date of enactment, the
Secretary shall evaluate suicide and self-harm syndromic
surveillance systems at the Federal, State, and local levels
and submit a report to Congress on the data collected, any
challenges and gaps in data collection and reporting,
recommendations to address these challenges or gaps, and a
description of public health responses initiated in response to
the collected data.
There is authorized to be appropriated $20 million for each
of the fiscal years 2021 through 2025 to carry out section 2.
Sec. 3. Grants to provide self harm and suicide prevention services
Section 3 amends the Public Health Service Act to direct
the Secretary to award grants to hospital emergency departments
to provide self-harm and suicide prevention services. Such
grants shall be used to implement suicide prevention programs
or protocols for hospital patients after discharge. Activities
may include increased screening, additional short-term
services, targeted referral services. These funds may also be
used to hire and train staff to carry out these activities.
Grants shall be for a period of three years, and grantees
must report to the Secretary regarding the activities carried
out with the grants. Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment, the Secretary shall, in consultation with
individuals and entities with expertise in self-harm and
suicide prevention, develop standards of practice for screening
patients for self-harm and suicide. The Secretary must report
to the relevant committees of jurisdiction a program evaluation
no later than two years after enactment.
There is authorized to be appropriated $30 million for each
of the fiscal years 2021 through 2025 to carry out section 3.
XVI. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is
printed in italics and existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT
* * * * * * *
TITLE III--GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES OF PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
* * * * * * *
Part B--Federal-State Cooperation
* * * * * * *
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 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 2021 through 2025.
* * * * * * *
TITLE V--SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
* * * * * * *
Part B--Centers and Programs
* * * * * * *
Subpart 3--Center for Mental Health Services
* * * * * * *
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 2021 through 2025.
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