I

104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 609

To establish the National Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth Suicide

Prevention.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 20, 1995

Mr. MEEHAN (for himself, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MILLER

of California, Mr. FILNER, Mrs. MALONEY, and Mr. BROWN of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee

on Commerce

A BILL

To establish the National Commission on Gay and Lesbian

Youth Suicide Prevention.

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
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1 Prevention’’ (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commis2 sion’’).

3 SEC. 3. DUTIES OF COMMISSION.

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall combat the

5 epidemic of suicide among gay and lesbian youth, who ac6 count for 30 percent of completed youth suicides as re7 ported by the United States Department of Health and

8 Human Services in the 1989 ‘‘Report of the Secretary’s

9 TaskForce on Youth Suicide’’. The Commission shall ad10 vise the Department of Health and Human Services and

11 other Federal and State youth service agencies concerning

12 how to include the concerns of gay and lesbian youth with13 in existing suicide prevention policies, programs, and re14 search.

15 (b) GOALS OF COMMISSION.—The goals of the Com16 mission shall be to—

17 (1) work to include the concerns of gay and les18 bian youth within existing suicide prevention pro19 grams at the national and State level;

20 (2) develop and make specific recommendations

21 to the Department of Health and Human Services

22 and other relevant Federal and State agencies about

23 how to stem the epidemic of gay and lesbian youth

24 suicide;
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1 (3) work to expand current research on youth

2 suicide to include gay and lesbian youth; and

3 (4) work to amend existing youth suicide poli4 cies, guidelines, and programs to include gay and

5 lesbian youth.

6 SEC. 4. MEMBERSHIP.

7 (a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission

8 shall be composed of 30 members appointed by the Sec9 retary of Health and Human Services. Members shall in10 clude, but not be limited to, professionals and experts in

11 the field of youth suicide prevention.

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

13 be appointed for the life of the Commission.

14 (c) BASIC PAY AND EXPENSES.—

15 (1) PAY.—Members shall serve without pay.

16 (2) EXPENSES.—Each member shall receive

17 travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsist18 ence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of

19 title 5, United States Code.

20 (d) MEETINGS.—The Commission shall meet quar21 terly with the Secretary of Health and Human Services

22 and advise various departments within the Department of

23 Health and Human Services on an ongoing basis.
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1 SEC. 5. REPORTS.

2 (a) INTERIM REPORTS.—The Commission shall sub3 mit an annual report to the Secretary of Health and

4 Human Services. The Commission shall conduct regional

5 public hearings around the United States to gather infor6 mation from youths, family members, and professionals

7 about the problem of gay youth suicide on an ongoing

8 basis.

9 (b) FINAL REPORT.—The Commission shall transmit

10 a final report to the Secretary of Health and Human Serv11 ices. The final report shall contain a detailed statement

12 of the findings and conclusions of the Commission.

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