II

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1448

To establish the National Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth Suicide

Prevention, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

DECEMBER 5, 1995

Mr. KERRY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources

A BILL

To establish the National Commission on Gay and Lesbian

Youth Suicide Prevention, 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 ‘‘Gay and Lesbian

5 Youth Suicide Prevention Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

7 There is established a commission to be known as the

8 National Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth Suicide

9 Prevention (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Commission’’).
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1 SEC. 3. MEMBERSHIP.

2 (a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission

3 shall be composed of 31 members appointed by the Sec4 retary of Health and Human Services. Members of the

5 Commission shall include professionals and experts in the

6 field of youth suicide prevention.

7 (b) TERMS.—Each member of the Commission shall

8 be appointed for the life of the Commission. Any vacancy

9 in the Commission shall not affect the powers of the Com10 mission, but shall be filled in the same manner as the

11 original appointment.

12 (c) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall, during a 6-

13 month period, meet with the Secretary of Health and

14 Human Services and advise various offices within the De15 partment of Health and Human Services on an ongoing

16 basis.

17 (d) CHAIRPERSON.—The Secretary of Health and

18 Human Services shall select a chairperson for the Com19 mission from among the members of the Commission.

20 SEC. 4. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall carry out

22 activities to combat the epidemic of suicide among gay and

23 lesbian youth, who account for 30 percent of completed

24 youth suicides, as reported by the Department of Health

25 and Human Services in the 1989 ‘‘Report of the Sec26 retary’s Task Force on Youth Suicide’’. The Commission
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1 shall advise the Secretary of Health and Human Services

2 and heads of other Federal and State youth service agen3 cies concerning how to include the concerns of gay and

4 lesbian youth in suicide prevention policies, programs, and

5 research.

6 (b) GOALS OF COMMISSION.—The goals of the Com7 mission shall be to—

8 (1) work to include the concerns of gay and les9 bian youth in suicide prevention programs at the na10 tional and State level;

11 (2) develop and make specific recommendations

12 to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and

13 heads of other relevant Federal and State agencies

14 about how to stem the epidemic of gay and lesbian

15 youth suicide;

16 (3) work to expand research on youth suicide to

17 include research on gay and lesbian youth suicide;

18 and

19 (4) work to amend existing youth suicide poli20 cies, guidelines, and programs to include policies,

21 guidelines, and programs appropriate for gay and

22 lesbian youth.

23 SEC. 5. REPORTS.

24 (a) INTERIM REPORTS.—The Commission shall con25 duct regional public hearings around the United States to
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1 gather information from youths, family members of such

2 youths, and professionals, about the problem of gay and

3 lesbian youth suicide, on an ongoing basis. The Commis4 sion shall prepare and submit an interim report to the Sec5 retary of Health and Human Services. The interim report

6 shall contain findings and conclusions of the Commission,

7 based on the hearings.

8 (b) FINAL REPORT.—The Commission shall prepare

9 and submit a final report to the Secretary of Health and

10 Human Services. The final report shall contain a detailed

11 statement of the findings and conclusions of the Commis12 sion.

13 SEC. 6. POWERS OF THE COMMISSION.

14 (a) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.—The

15 Commission may secure directly from any Federal depart16 ment or agency such information as the Commission con17 siders necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.

18 Upon request of the Chairperson of the Commission, the

19 head of such department or agency shall furnish such in20 formation to the Commission.

21 (b) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Commission may use

22 the United States mails in the same manner and under

23 the same conditions as other departments and agencies of

24 the Federal Government.
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1 (c) USE OF VOLUNTARY AND UNCOMPENSATED

2 SERVICES.—Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31,

3 United States Code, the Secretary of Health and Human

4 Services is authorized to accept voluntary and uncompen5 sated services in furtherance of the purposes of this Act.

6 SEC. 7. COMMISSION PERSONNEL MATTERS.

7 (a) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Commission

8 shall serve on the Commission without compensation.

9 (b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Com10 mission shall be allowed travel expenses, including per

11 diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employ12 ees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title

13 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or

14 regular places of business in the performance of services

15 for the Commission.

16 (c) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.—Any

17 Federal Government employee may be detailed to the

18 Commission without reimbursement, and such detail shall

19 be without interruption or loss of civil service status or

20 privilege.

21 (d) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND INTERMIT22 TENT SERVICES.—The Chairperson of the Commission

23 may procure temporary and intermittent services under

24 section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates

25 for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent
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1 of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of

2 the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title.

3 SEC. 8. SUNSET PROVISION.

4 The Commission shall terminate 6 months after the

5 date of the first meeting of the Commission.

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