I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7265 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 
to establish or expand programs to implement evidence-aligned practices 
in health care settings for the purpose of reducing the suicide rates 
of covered individuals, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 7, 2024 
Ms. UNDERWOOD (for herself and Ms. SCHRIER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 
addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
to award grants to establish or expand programs to 
implement evidence-aligned practices in health care set-
tings for the purpose of reducing the suicide rates of 
covered individuals, 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 ‘‘Child Suicide Preven-
tion and Lethal Means Safety Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM TO ADDRESS YOUTH SUICIDE 
AND LETHAL MEANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall award grants to eligible entities to establish or ex-
pand programs to implement evidence-aligned practices in 
health care settings for the purpose of reducing the suicide 
rates of covered individuals. 
(b) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity seeking a grant 
under this section shall submit an application to the Sec-
retary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 
such information as the Secretary may require. 
(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this section, the term ‘‘el-
igible entity’’ includes— 
(1) a State; 
(2) a State or local health department; 
(3) a professional membership organization that 
specializes in health care; 
(4) a hospital that serves covered individuals; 
(5) a nonprofit organization; or 
(6) an institution of higher education. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to 
establish or expand programs to educate or train health 
care providers as described in subsection (a), including 
education and training on— 
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(9) communication strategies to discuss such 
laws with covered individuals and the family mem-
bers or guardians of such individuals; and 
(10) procedures for referring covered individ-
uals who may be at a high risk of suicide or self- 
harm to other health care providers, social services, 
or crisis resources. 
(e) SECURE GUN STORAGE OR SAFETY DEVICES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An entity receiving a grant 
under this section may use not more than 15 per-
cent of the funds received through the grant to make 
secure gun storage or safety devices available at re-
duced or no cost to residences with at least one cov-
ered individual. 
(2) APPLICATION.—If an applicant for a grant 
under this section seeks to use the grant as de-
scribed in paragraph (1), the applicant shall include 
in its application under subsection (b)— 
(A) a strategy to make secure gun storage 
or safety devices available at reduced or no cost 
to residences with at least one covered indi-
vidual; and 
(B) information about the types of devices 
that will be so made available based on a dem-
onstration of available information about the se-
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cure gun storage or safety device needs of the 
community or communities in which such resi-
dences are located. 
(3) COUNSELING.—A recipient of a grant under 
this section that chooses to use a portion of the 
grant as described in paragraph (1) shall provide ap-
propriate counseling on the use of secure gun stor-
age or safety devices to one or more individuals at 
each residence that receives such a device through 
funds made available through such grant. 
(f) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall 
provide technical assistance to recipients of grants under 
this section and health care providers on best practices 
in implementing programs to educate or train health care 
providers on evidence-aligned practices for the purpose of 
reducing the suicide rates of covered individuals. 
(g) REPORT.— 
(1) BY GRANTEES.— 
(A) SUBMISSION.—Each eligible entity 
that receives a grant under this section shall 
submit, on an annual basis through fiscal year 
2027, a report to the Secretary on the activities 
carried out through the grant. 
(B) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary 
shall make each report submitted under sub-
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paragraph (A) publicly available on the website 
of the Department of Health and Human Serv-
ices. 
(2) BY SECRETARY.—Not later than the end of 
fiscal year 2027, the Secretary shall submit a report 
to the Congress that includes— 
(A) a summary of the reports submitted to 
the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (1); and 
(B) recommendations with respect to the 
implementation of evidence-aligned practices in 
health care settings to reduce the suicide rates 
of covered individuals. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$20,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2025 through 
2028. 
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO DEVELOP AND INTEGRATE 
SUICIDE PREVENTION AND LETHAL MEANS 
SAFETY CURRICULA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall award grants to eligible schools to develop and inte-
grate in the curricula and continuing education programs 
of such schools the content described in subsection (d). 
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(b) APPLICATION.—An eligible school seeking a grant 
under this section shall submit an application to the Sec-
retary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 
such information as the Secretary may require. 
(c) 
PARTNERSHIP.—In 
carrying 
out 
activities 
through a grant under this section, an eligible school may 
develop a partnership with— 
(1) a local health department; 
(2) such professional associations as the Sec-
retary determines are appropriate; 
(3) a nonprofit organization; and 
(4) an institution of higher education. 
(d) CURRICULA CONTENT.—The content to be devel-
oped and integrated pursuant to subsection (a) shall ad-
dress each of the following: 
(1) Lethal means safety and injury prevention, 
including— 
(A) safe storage of a firearm and ammuni-
tion; and 
(B) State and Federal laws that apply to 
the use and possession of a firearm. 
(2) Best practices that are evidence-aligned and 
culturally appropriate with respect to communicating 
with patients and the families of patients about le-
thal means safety and injury prevention. 
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(3) Evidence-aligned strategies with respect to 
suicide prevention, intervention, and support to indi-
viduals after the occurrence of a suicide or suicide 
attempt, with an emphasis on— 
(A) covered individuals; and 
(B) individuals at a high risk of suicide. 
(4) Validated, developmentally and age-appro-
priate, and evidence-aligned screening and risk as-
sessment techniques with respect to suicide and the 
use of a firearm. 
(5) Strategies to identify covered risk factors. 
(6) Methods or means used by a covered indi-
vidual to attempt suicide and, with respect to such 
methods or means, best practices to ensure the safe-
ty of a covered individual, including safety plans and 
plans that address such methods and means. 
(e) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall 
provide— 
(1) to eligible schools, technical assistance in 
applying for a grant under this section; and 
(2) to eligible schools receiving grants under 
this section, technical assistance in carrying out the 
activities funded through the grants. 
(f) REPORT.— 
(1) BY GRANTEES.— 
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