I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3505 
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a grant program 
to facilitate the installation, on certain infrastructure, of evidence-based 
suicide deterrents, including suicide prevention nets and barriers, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 20, 2025 
Mr. BEYER (for himself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. MOULTON, Mrs. WATSON 
COLEMAN, Mr. THANEDAR, Mrs. TRAHAN, Ms. KAPTUR, Ms. MOORE of 
Wisconsin, Mr. CARSON, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, and Ms. 
MCCOLLUM) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a 
grant program to facilitate the installation, on certain 
infrastructure, of evidence-based suicide deterrents, in-
cluding suicide prevention nets and barriers, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Barriers to Suicide 
Act of 2025’’. 
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SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Trans-
portation shall establish a program (in this section re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Program’’) to facilitate the installation 
of evidence-based suicide deterrents, including suicide pre-
vention nets and barriers, on or at a covered location. 
(b) GRANT AUTHORITY.—In carrying out the Pro-
gram, the Secretary may make grants on a competitive 
basis in accordance with this section. 
(c) ELIGIBLE
RECIPIENTS.—The Secretary may 
make a grant under the Program to— 
(1) a State or a political subdivision of a State; 
and 
(2) any other entity the Secretary determines to 
be eligible. 
(d) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible for a grant under 
the Program, an entity described in subsection (c) shall 
submit to the Secretary an application in such form, at 
such time, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary determines appropriate. 
(e) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—The Secretary may make 
a grant under the Program only for a project that facili-
tates the installation on or at a covered location of— 
(1) a suicide prevention net; 
(2) a suicide prevention barrier; or 
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(3) any other evidence-based suicide deterrent 
that is determined by the Secretary to be appro-
priate. 
(f) PRIORITY.—In making a grant under the Pro-
gram, the Secretary shall give priority to a project located 
in an area with a high rate of suicide, taking into consider-
ation the number of suicides and rate of suicides per cap-
ita in an area, or other priority characteristics, as deter-
mined by the Secretary. 
(g) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost 
of a project assisted with a grant under the Program may 
not exceed 80 percent. 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COVERED LOCATION.—The term ‘‘covered 
location’’ means— 
(A) a bridge; 
(B) building; 
(C) parking garage; 
(D) a highway-rail grade crossing; and 
(E) a rail station. 
(2) EVIDENCE-BASED SUICIDE DETERRENT.— 
The term ‘‘evidence-based suicide deterrent’’ means 
a suicide deterrent that demonstrates a rationale 
based on high-quality research findings or positive 
evaluation that such deterrent is likely to reduce or 
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prevent suicide, and includes ongoing efforts to ex-
amine the effects of such deterrent. 
(3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each 
State of the United States, the District of Columbia, 
each commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 
United States, and each federally recognized Indian 
Tribe. 
(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Program 
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030. 
SEC. 3. TITLE 23 AMENDMENT. 
Section 119(d)(2)(I) of title 23, United States Code, 
is amended by striking ‘‘Highway System.’’ and adding 
‘‘Highway System, including installation of safety barriers 
and nets on bridges of the National Highway System.’’. 
SEC. 4. STUDY ON EFFECTIVENESS OF SUICIDE PREVEN-
TION NETS AND BARRIERS FOR STRUCTURES 
OTHER THAN BRIDGES. 
(a) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a study to identify— 
(1) the types of structures, other than bridges, 
that attract a high number of individuals attempting 
suicide-by-jumping; 
(2) the characteristics that distinguish struc-
tures identified under paragraph (1) from similar 
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structures that do not attract a high number of indi-
viduals attempting suicide-by-jumping; 
(3) the types of nets or barriers, including man-
ufactured and natural barriers, that are effective at 
reducing suicide-by-jumping with respect to the 
structures identified under paragraph (1); 
(4) methods of reducing suicide-by-jumping 
with respect to the structures identified under para-
graph (1) other than nets and barriers; 
(5) quantitative measures of the effectiveness of 
the nets and barriers identified under paragraph (3); 
(6) quantitative measures of the effectiveness of 
the additional methods identified under paragraph 
(4); 
(7) the entities that typically install the nets 
and barriers identified under paragraph (3); and 
(8) the costs of the nets and barriers identified 
under paragraph (3). 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 
submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure and the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
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Senate a report on the results of the study conducted 
under subsection (a). 
Æ 
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