Child Suicide Prevention and Lethal Means Safety Act
Bill: H.R.5035 | Sponsor: Rep. Underwood, Lauren (D-IL)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Child Suicide Prevention and Lethal Means Safety Act
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish grant programs and set up a website to reduce suicide rates among youth and young adults (those under age 26), including by addressing the use of firearms in suicides and suicide attempts.
Specifically, HHS must award grants to states, Indian tribes, health departments, hospitals, or other organizations to train health care providers on lethal means safety (e.g., safe storage of firearms), relevant laws concerning the use and possession of firearms, and other suicide prevention and intervention strategies for youth and young adults. Grantees may use a portion of funds to make secure gun storage or safety devices available to residences with an individual under age 26 who is at risk of suicide.
In addition, HHS must award grants to health professional schools to integrate content into their curricula and continuing education programs about suicide prevention strategies and interventions to reduce suicide rates among youth and young adults.
The bill also requires HHS to develop and maintain a website that contains information for individuals under age 26, their families, health care providers, and health professional schools concerning suicide prevention and the use of firearms in suicide attempts.

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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Child Suicide Prevention and Lethal 
Means Safety Act''.

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 expand 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 Secretary at such time, in 
such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may 
require.
    (c) Eligible Entity.--In this section, the term ``eligible 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--
            (1) identification of covered individuals who may be at a 
        high risk of suicide or self-harm using validated, 
        developmentally and age-appropriate, and evidence-aligned 
        screening and risk assessment techniques;
            (2) communication with covered individuals and the family 
        members or guardians of such individuals on lethal means safety 
        and injury prevention, including the safe storage of firearms;
            (3) covered risk factors and the relationship of such 
        factors to suicide and self-harm;
            (4) suicide prevention and intervention;
            (5) support strategies for covered individuals after the 
        occurrence of a suicide or suicide attempt;
            (6) racial and ethnic disparities with respect to covered 
        individuals who attempt suicide or self-harm, disaggregated by 
        the age and gender of covered individuals;
            (7) methods and means used by covered individuals to 
        attempt suicide and, with respect to such methods and means, 
        best practices to ensure the safety of a covered individual, 
        including safety plans and plans that address such methods and 
        means;
            (8) State and Federal laws with respect to the use and 
        possession of firearms;
            (9) communication strategies to discuss such laws with 
        covered individuals and the family members or guardians of such 
        individuals; and
            (10) procedures for referring covered individuals 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 percent of the funds received 
        through the grant to make secure gun storage or safety devices 
        available at reduced or no cost to residences with at least one 
        covered individual.
            (2) Application.--If an applicant for a grant under this 
        section seeks to use the grant as described 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 individual; and
                    (B) information about the types of devices that 
                will be so made available based on a demonstration of 
                available information about the secure gun storage or 
                safety device needs of the community or communities in 
                which such residences 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 appropriate counseling on the use 
        of secure gun storage 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 2025, a report to the 
                Secretary on the activities carried out through the 
                grant.
                    (B) Public availability.--The Secretary shall make 
                each report submitted under subparagraph (A) publicly 
                available on the website of the Department of Health 
                and Human Services.
            (2) By secretary.--Not later than the end of fiscal year 
        2025, 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 2022 through 2025.

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 integrate in the curricula and continuing 
education programs of such schools the content described in subsection 
(d).
    (b) Application.--An eligible school seeking a grant under this 
section shall submit an application to the Secretary 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 Secretary 
        determines are appropriate;
            (3) a nonprofit organization; and
            (4) an institution of higher education.
    (d) Curricula Content.--The content to be developed and integrated 
pursuant to subsection (a) shall address each of the following:
            (1) Lethal means safety and injury prevention, including--
                    (A) safe storage of a firearm and ammunition; 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 lethal means safety and injury 
        prevention.
            (3) Evidence-aligned strategies with respect to suicide 
        prevention, intervention, and support to individuals 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-appropriate, and 
        evidence-aligned screening and risk assessment 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 individual to 
        attempt suicide and, with respect to such methods or means, 
        best practices to ensure the safety 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.--
                    (A) Submission.--Each eligible school that receives 
                a grant under this section shall submit, on an annual 
                basis through fiscal year 2025, a report to the 
                Secretary on the activities carried out through the 
                grant.
                    (B) Public availability.--The Secretary shall make 
                each report submitted under subparagraph (A) publicly 
                available on the website of the Department of Health 
                and Human Services.
            (2) By secretary.--Not later than the end of fiscal year 
        2025, 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 for curricula on suicide 
                prevention.
    (g) Eligible School Defined.--In this section, the term ``eligible 
school'' means--
            (1) an accredited medical school;
            (2) an accredited school of nursing;
            (3) an accredited school with a--
                    (A) physician assistant education program;
                    (B) graduate or undergraduate program in mental or 
                behavioral health; or
                    (C) residency or fellowship program in health care; 
                and
            (4) any other accredited school that specializes in health 
        education, as determined by the Secretary, including for 
        continuing education programs.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2022 through 2025.

SEC. 4. INFORMATIONAL WEBSITE.

    (a) Development.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop and maintain a 
website to inform covered individuals, the family members or guardians 
of such individuals, schools that educate health care providers, and 
health care providers on best practices with respect to suicide 
prevention and the use of firearms in suicide attempts by covered 
individuals.
    (b) Update.--The Secretary shall update the information on the 
website developed under subsection (a) based on the reports submitted 
pursuant to sections (2)(f) and (3)(f).
    (c) Consultation.--In developing the website under subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall consult with--
            (1) the individuals and entities referred to in such 
        subsection;
            (2) nonprofit organizations;
            (3) such professional associations as the Secretary 
        determines are appropriate;
            (4) local health departments;
            (5) hospitals that serve covered individuals;
            (6) institutions of higher education;
            (7) the Department of Veterans Affairs;
            (8) Federal firearms license dealers and instructors; and
            (9) other individuals or entities, as determined by the 
        Secretary.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Covered individual.--The term ``covered individual'' 
        means an individual who has not attained 26 years of age.
            (2) Covered risk factors.--The term ``covered risk 
        factors'' means factors that increase the risk of suicide or 
        self-harm with respect to a covered individual, including the 
        following:
                    (A) Alcohol abuse or other substance use disorder.
                    (B) Sexual or physical abuse.
                    (C) A diagnosis of a psychiatric condition 
                associated with an increased risk of suicide or self-
                harm.
                    (D) Being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or 
                queer.
                    (E) Being from a racial or ethnic group with a high 
                rate of suicide or self-harm.
                    (F) Previous attempts of suicide or self-harm.
                    (G) Other factors supported by scientific evidence 
                to be linked to an increased risk of suicide or self-
                harm, including family factors and bullying.
            (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.
            (5) Secure gun storage or safety device.--The term ``secure 
        storage or safety device'' has the meaning given to such term 
        in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 921(a)(34) of title 18, 
        United States Code.
            (6) State.--The term ``State'' means--
                    (A) each of the 50 States;
                    (B) the District of Columbia and any territory or 
                possession of the United States;
                    (C) Indian tribes and tribal organizations (as such 
                terms are defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-
                Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
                5304)); and
                    (D) Urban Indian organizations (as such term is 
                defined in section 4 of the Indian Health Care 
                Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603)).
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