(8) Access to mental health services is impor-
tant to mitigate suicide, suicide contagion, and be-
reavement. Access to care also reduces the financial 
burden for individuals in need of mental health serv-
ices. 
(9) The Patient Protection and Affordable Care 
Act has increased access to mental health services, 
but there is still a large population that is uninsured 
or has insufficient coverage to seek mental health 
services. 
(10) Family and friends who have lost a loved 
one to suicide should not face hurdles when attempt-
ing to access mental health services. As such, a sui-
cide or suicide attempt should constitute a ‘‘quali-
fying life event’’ for any individual who is eligible to 
enroll, but is not enrolled, in a health benefit plan 
under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care 
Act. 
SEC. 3. PROVIDING FOR A SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD 
FOR FAMILY MEMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO 
HAVE COMMITTED SUICIDE. 
(a) 
PUBLIC
HEALTH
SERVICE
ACT.—Section 
2702(b)(2) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
300gg–1(b)(2) is amended by inserting ‘‘including a spe-
cial enrollment period for family members of individuals 
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who have died by suicide, allowing them to enroll in, or 
change, their health care plan, beginning on the date on 
which the suicide is reported to the health insurance 
issuer’’ before the period at the end. 
(b) PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE 
ACT.—Section 1311(c)(6) of the Patient Protection and 
Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18031(c)(6)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as sub-
paragraph (E); and 
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) a special enrollment period for family 
members of individuals who have died by sui-
cide, beginning on the date on which the suicide 
is reported to the Exchange; and’’. 
(c) 
SPECIAL
ENROLLMENT
PERIODS.—Section 
9801(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 
9801(f)) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) FOR FAMILY MEMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS 
WHO HAVE DIED BY SUICIDE.— 
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‘‘(A) A group health plan shall permit an 
employee who is eligible, but not enrolled, for 
coverage under the terms of the plan (or a de-
pendent of such an employee if the dependent 
is eligible, but not enrolled, for coverage under 
such terms) to enroll for coverage under the 
terms of the plan upon the suicide of a family 
member, with the special enrollment period be-
ginning on the date on which the suicide is re-
ported to the group health plan. 
‘‘(B) The Secretary shall promulgate regu-
lations with respect to the special enrollment 
period under subparagraph (A), including es-
tablishing a time period for family members of 
an individual who has died by suicide to enroll 
in coverage or change coverage, and effective 
date of such coverage.’’. 
(d) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES’ HEALTH BENEFITS PRO-
GRAM.—The requirements imposed by the amendments 
made by subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section shall 
apply to any plan provided under the Federal Employees’ 
Health Benefits Program (chapter 89 of title 5, United 
States Code). 
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(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to plan years begin-
ning after the date of enactment. 
SEC. 4. OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. 
Subpart 3 of part B of title V of the Public Health 
Service Act is amended by inserting after section 520E– 
4 (42 U.S.C. 290bb–36d) the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 520E–5 OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance 
Use, shall award grants to medical providers, hospitals, 
clinics, not-for-profit organizations, and religious organi-
zations, to provide outpatient mental health services for 
individuals impacted by the attempted or completed sui-
cide of a friend or family member. 
‘‘(b) TRANSFER OF FUNDS.—Of the unobligated bal-
ance of the amount appropriated under section 4002 of 
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Sec-
retary shall transfer $6,000,000 to carry out this section. 
‘‘(c) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment, the Secretary shall submit a report to Con-
gress on the implementation of this section. 
‘‘(d) OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.—In 
this section, the term ‘outpatient mental health services’ 
includes each of the following services: 
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‘‘(1) Short-term counseling. 
‘‘(2) Referral services. 
‘‘(3) Follow-up services.’’. 
Æ 
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