I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4309 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a grant program 

to facilitate the installation, on bridges, of evidence-based suicide deterrents, including suicide prevention nets and barriers, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 

Mr. BEYER (for himself, Mr. KATKO, and Mrs. NAPOLITANO) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 

and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a 

grant program to facilitate the installation, on bridges, 

of evidence-based suicide deterrents, including suicide 

prevention nets and barriers, 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 ‘‘Barriers to Suicide 

5 Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

3 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Trans4 portation shall establish a program (in this section re5 ferred to as the ‘‘Program’’) to facilitate the installation 

6 of evidence-based suicide deterrents on bridges, including 

7 suicide prevention nets and barriers. 

8 (b) GRANT AUTHORITY.—In carrying out the Pro9 gram, the Secretary may make grants on a competitive 

10 basis in accordance with this section. 

11 (c) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS.—The Secretary may 

12 make a grant under the Program to a State or a political 

13 subdivision of a State. 

14 (d) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible for a grant under 

15 the Program, an entity described in subsection (c) shall 

16 submit to the Secretary an application in such form, at 

17 such time, and containing such information as the Sec18 retary determines appropriate. 

19 (e) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—The Secretary may make 

20 a grant under the Program only for a project that facili21 tates the installation on a bridge of— 

22 (1) a suicide prevention net; 

23 (2) a suicide prevention barrier; or 

24 (3) any other evidence-based suicide deterrent 

25 that is determined by the Secretary to be appro26 priate. 


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1 (f) PRIORITY.—In making a grant under the Pro2 gram, the Secretary shall give priority to a project located 

3 in an area with a high rate of suicide or other priority 

4 characteristics, as determined by the Secretary. 

5 (g) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost 

6 of a project assisted with a grant under the Program may 

7 not exceed 80 percent. 

8 (h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 (1) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each 

10 State of the United States, the District of Columbia, 

11 each commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 

12 United States, and each federally recognized Indian 

13 Tribe. 

14 (2) EVIDENCE-BASED SUICIDE DETERRENT.— 

15 The term ‘‘evidence-based suicide deterrent’’ means 

16 a suicide deterrent that demonstrates a rationale 

17 based on high-quality research findings or positive 

18 evaluation that such deterrent is likely to reduce or 

19 prevent suicide, and includes ongoing efforts to ex20 amine the effects of such deterrent. 

21 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

22 authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Program 

23 $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024. 


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1 SEC. 3. TITLE 23 AMENDMENTS. 

2 (a) NATIONAL HIGHWAY PERFORMANCE PRO3 GRAM.—Section 119(d)(2)(I) of title 23, United States 

4 Code, is amended by striking ‘‘Highway System.’’ and 

5 adding ‘‘Highway System, including installation of safety 

6 barriers and nets on bridges of the National Highway Sys7 tem.’’. 

8 (b) SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BLOCK GRANTS.— 

9 Section 133(b)(4) of title 23, United States Code, is 

10 amended by striking ‘‘crossings.’’ and adding ‘‘crossings 

11 and installation of safety barriers and nets on bridges.’’. 

12 SEC. 4. STUDY ON EFFECTIVENESS OF SUICIDE PREVEN13 TION NETS AND BARRIERS FOR STRUCTURES 

14 OTHER THAN BRIDGES. 

15 (a) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United 

16 States shall conduct a study to identify— 

17 (1) the types of structures, other than bridges, 

18 that attract a high number of individuals attempting 

19 suicide-by-jumping; 

20 (2) the characteristics that distinguish struc21 tures identified under paragraph (1) from similar 

22 structures that do not attract a high number of indi23 viduals attempting suicide-by-jumping; 

24 (3) the types of nets or barriers that are effec25 tive at reducing suicide-by-jumping with respect to 

26 the structures identified under paragraph (1); 


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1 (4) methods of reducing suicide-by-jumping 

2 with respect to the structures identified under para3 graph (1) other than nets and barriers; 

4 (5) quantitative measures of the effectiveness of 

5 the nets and barriers identified under paragraph (3); 

6 (6) quantitative measures of the effectiveness of 

7 the additional methods identified under paragraph 

8 (4); 

9 (7) the entities that typically install the nets 

10 and barriers identified under paragraph (3); and 

11 (8) the costs of the nets and barriers identified 

12 under paragraph (3). 

13 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

14 of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 

15 submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infra16 structure and the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

17 of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

18 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Com19 mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 

20 Senate a report on the results of the study conducted 

21 under subsection (a). 

Æ 


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