I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3778 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize certain grants (for 
youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies) to be used 
for school personnel in elementary and secondary schools and students 
in secondary schools to receive student suicide awareness and prevention 
training, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 16, 2019 
Mr. CLEAVER (for himself, Mr. LONG, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. CUM-
MINGS, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. THOMPSON of Mis-
sissippi, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. LEE of California, Mrs. MCBATH, 
Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Ms. WILD, Mr. HORSFORD, Mr. 
BUTTERFIELD, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. ROSE of New York, and 
Mr. MEEKS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize certain 
grants (for youth suicide early intervention and preven-
tion strategies) to be used for school personnel in elemen-
tary and secondary schools and students in secondary 
schools to receive student suicide awareness and preven-
tion training, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cady Housh and 
Gemesha Thomas Student Suicide Prevention Act of 
2019’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) In the last 12 years, suicide has been on the 
increase, moving up to the second leading cause of 
death for young people between the ages of 10 and 
24 with about 157,000 youth treated at emergency 
departments for self-inflicted injuries. 
(2) According to the 2017 Youth Risk Behav-
iors Survey of the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, 16 percent of high school students re-
ported seriously considering suicide, and 8 percent 
reporting attempting to take their lives during that 
period. 
(3) Eighty percent of students show warning 
signs before attempting suicide. 
(4) Prevention and awareness training will 
equip individuals to become aware of the warning 
signs of suicide, identify students in crisis, and pro-
vide resources for help. 
(5) Research shows that inquiring about suicide 
ideation, or discussing suicide in terms of recog-
nizing risk factors and prevention methods— 
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(A) does not increase the chance of suicide; 
and 
(B) in fact, can lower the risk of suicide. 
(6) Sexual minority youth (LGBTQ) are almost 
five times more likely to have attempted suicide com-
pared to their heterosexual peers. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of the Congress that— 
(1) student suicide awareness, prevention train-
ing, and response materials should be available to all 
school personnel, including administrative personnel, 
teachers, counselors, and other school leaders; 
(2) States should give autonomy to each local 
educational agency to— 
(A) adopt a policy with respect to student 
suicide awareness and prevention; and 
(B) work collaboratively with local organi-
zations, youth mental health experts, health 
care providers, and the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services to implement training for 
school personnel and students, including by 
sharing and disseminating— 
(i) training materials and resources; 
and 
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(ii) information that is evidence-based 
or promising on student suicide prevention; 
(3) the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices should identify the highest unmet needs, specifi-
cally with students of color; 
(4) schools should offer to students in grades 9 
through 12, with the support of organizations with 
demonstrated expertise in cultural competency, sui-
cide awareness, response, and prevention training 
with an ‘‘opt out’’ component to be signed by par-
ents, guardians, or students over the age of 18; 
(5) students who receive such training should 
not be taught to be counselors, but rather should be 
educated on how to— 
(A) recognize signs of suicide and depres-
sion; 
(B) report these signs to appropriate staff; 
and 
(C) identify sources of care and support; 
and 
(6) schools should utilize school-based mental 
health professionals and other community partner-
ships. 
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SEC. 4. STUDENT SUICIDE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION 
TRAINING. 
(a) ADDITIONAL
AUTHORIZED
USE
OF
GRANT 
FUNDS.—Section 520E(a) of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb–36(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(6) establish and implement a statewide policy 
requiring school personnel in elementary and sec-
ondary schools and students in secondary schools to 
complete 
student 
emotional 
well-being, 
mental 
health, and suicide awareness and prevention train-
ing in accordance with subsection (d).’’. 
(b) TRAINING REQUIREMENTS.—Section 520E of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb–36(a)), as 
amended by subsection (a), is further amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (d) through 
(m) as subsections (e) through (n), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(d) 
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
STUDENT
SUICIDE 
AWARENESS AND TRAINING PROGRAMS.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—As a condition on receipt of 
funds under subsection (a)(6), an applicant shall 
agree to use the funds to establish or implement a 
statewide policy— 
‘‘(A) requiring school personnel in elemen-
tary and secondary schools and students in sec-
ondary schools to complete student emotional 
well-being, mental health, and suicide awareness 
and prevention training that— 
‘‘(i) includes at least one classroom 
session each school year; 
‘‘(ii) is evidence-based or evidence-in-
formed; and 
‘‘(iii) includes training on— 
‘‘(I) the warning signs of, and 
elevated risk factors for, poor emo-
tional well-being, mental health issues, 
and suicide of oneself and of others; 
‘‘(II) suggested responses to such 
warning signs; 
‘‘(III) further suicide awareness 
and prevention resources; and 
‘‘(IV) the method and manner of 
making an appropriate referral to a 
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school-based mental health services 
provider; and 
‘‘(B) requiring, with respect to such school 
personnel, that such training include training 
on— 
‘‘(i) cultural competency and intersec-
tionality sensitivity; and 
‘‘(ii) an overview of applicable Fed-
eral, State, and local law concerning re-
porting requirements. 
‘‘(2) DEFINITIONS.—As used in subsection 
(a)(6) and this subsection: 
‘‘(A) The term ‘evidence-based’ means— 
‘‘(i) demonstrating a rationale based 
on high-quality research findings or posi-
tive evaluation that the program or train-
ing— 
‘‘(I) is likely to improve relevant 
outcomes; and 
‘‘(II) includes ongoing efforts to 
examine the effects of the program or 
training; or 
‘‘(ii) 
supported 
by 
documentation 
showing that the program or training— 
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‘‘(I) has been effectively imple-
mented in the past, multiple times, in 
accordance with scientific standards of 
evidence; and 
‘‘(II) demonstrates a consistent 
pattern of credible and positive ef-
fects. 
‘‘(B) The term ‘school-based mental health 
services provider’ includes a State-licensed or 
State-certified school counselor, school psycholo-
gist, school social worker, or other State-li-
censed or certified mental health professional 
qualified under State law to provide mental 
health services to children and adolescents. 
‘‘(C) The term ‘school personnel’ means— 
‘‘(i) principals or other heads of a 
school; other professional instructional 
staff (such as staff involved in curriculum 
development, staff development, or oper-
ating library, media, and computer cen-
ters); specialized instructional support per-
sonnel such as school counselors, school so-
cial workers, and school psychologists; and 
other qualified professional personnel, such 
as school nurses, speech language patholo-
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gists, and school librarians, involved in 
providing assessment, diagnosis, coun-
seling, and educational, therapeutic, and 
other necessary services; and 
‘‘(ii) other school employees and con-
tractors who interact with students, includ-
ing bus drivers, cafeteria workers, coaches, 
janitorial staff, and after-school program 
employees.’’. 
(c) FUNDING.—Subsection (n) of section 520E of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb–36), as re-
designated by subsection (b)(2), is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘For the purpose’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘2022’’ and inserting ‘‘2025’’; 
and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) ALLOCATION.—Of the amounts made 
available to carry out this section for a fiscal year, 
not less than 15 percent of such amounts shall be 
used for grants or cooperative agreements to carry 
out subsection (a)(6) (to establish and implement a 
statewide policy requiring school personnel in ele-
mentary and secondary schools and students in sec-
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ondary schools to complete student emotional well- 
being, mental health, and suicide awareness and pre-
vention training).’’. 
Æ 
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