II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4970 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to promote comprehensive 

campus mental health and suicide prevention plans, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 28, 2022 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, Mr. MURPHY, 

Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. BENNET, and Mr. CASSIDY) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to promote 

comprehensive campus mental health and suicide prevention plans, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Enhancing Mental 

5 Health and Suicide Prevention Through Campus Planning 

6 Act’’. 


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•S 4970 IS

1 SEC. 2. ENCOURAGING CAMPUS COMPREHENSIVE MENTAL 

2 HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION PLANS. 

3 Part L of title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 

4 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161l et seq.) is amended— 

5 (1) by redesignating section 826 as section 827; 

6 and 

7 (2) by inserting after section 825 the following 

8 new section: 

9 ‘‘SEC. 826. ENCOURAGING CAMPUS COMPREHENSIVE MEN10 TAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION 

11 PLANS. 

12 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make efforts 

13 to encourage institutions of higher education to develop 

14 and implement comprehensive campus mental health and 

15 suicide prevention plans. Such efforts— 

16 ‘‘(1) shall be conducted in coordination with the 

17 Secretary of Health and Human Services (acting 

18 through the Administrator of the Substance Abuse 

19 and Mental Health Services Administration); 

20 ‘‘(2) shall align with— 

21 ‘‘(A) the efforts of the Suicide Prevention 

22 Resource Center, specifically the Center’s model 

23 of nine strategies that form a comprehensive 

24 approach to suicide prevention; 

25 ‘‘(B) the 21st Century Cures Act (Public 

26 Law 114–225); and 


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•S 4970 IS

1 ‘‘(C) the programs authorized under the 

2 Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act (42 U.S.C. 

3 201 note; Public Law 108–355); 

4 ‘‘(3) shall take into consideration existing State 

5 efforts to address mental health and suicide preven6 tion at institutions of higher education; and 

7 ‘‘(4) may be carried out in collaboration with 

8 nonprofit organizations and other experts and stake9 holders in the field of campus mental health and sui10 cide prevention. 

11 ‘‘(b) REPORTS.—The Secretary, or a designee of the 

12 Secretary, shall report to Congress on the efforts of the 

13 Secretary carried out under this section— 

14 ‘‘(1) not later than 1 year after the date of en15 actment of the Enhancing Mental Health and Sui16 cide Prevention Through Campus Planning Act; and 

17 ‘‘(2) 3 years after the date of enactment of 

18 such Act. 

19 ‘‘(c) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall 

20 be construed as creating new statutory requirements for 

21 institutions of higher education or granting the Secretary 

22 new regulatory authority.’’. 

Æ 


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