Cady Housh and Gemesha Thomas Student Suicide Prevention Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.5750 | Sponsor: Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel (D-MO)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Cady Housh and Gemesha Thomas Student Suicide Prevention Act of 2021
This bill reauthorizes through FY2028, and otherwise revises, grants administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support youth suicide early-intervention and prevention strategies. Specifically, the bill requires SAMHSA to award a portion of such grants for statewide training programs on emotional well-being, mental health, and suicide awareness and prevention for elementary and secondary school students and staff.

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.

    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 ``Cady Housh and Gemesha Thomas 
Student Suicide Prevention Act of 2021''.

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 34 with about 157,000 youth treated 
        at emergency departments for self-inflicted injuries. Between 
        2007 and 2018, the national suicide rate among persons ages 1 
        to 24 increased 57.4 percent.
            (2) According to the 2019 Youth Risk Behaviors Survey of 
        the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18.8 percent of 
        high school students reported seriously considering suicide, 
        and 8.9 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 provide resources for help.
            (5) Research shows that inquiring about suicide ideation, 
        or discussing suicide in terms of recognizing risk factors and 
        prevention methods--
                    (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 compared to their 
        heterosexual peers. In addition, 40 percent of LGBTQ youth 
        seriously considered attempting suicide in the past 12 months, 
        with more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth having 
        seriously considered suicide.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) student suicide awareness, prevention training, 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 organizations, 
                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
                            (ii) information that is evidence-informed 
                        or promising on student suicide prevention;
            (3) the Secretary of Health and Human Services should 
        identify the highest unmet needs, specifically with at-risk 
        student populations, such as--
                    (A) minority students;
                    (B) LBGTQ+ identifying students;
                    (C) students living with mental health conditions;
                    (D) students living with substance use disorders;
                    (E) students who have engaged in self-harm or have 
                attempted suicide; and
                    (F) students experiencing homelessness or out-of-
                home settings;
            (4) schools should offer these services to students in 
        grades 9 through 12, with the support of organizations with 
        demonstrated expertise in cultural competency, suicide 
        awareness, response, and prevention training;
            (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 depression;
                    (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 partnerships.

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 secondary schools and 
        students in secondary schools to complete student emotional 
        well-being, mental health, and suicide awareness and prevention 
        training 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 following:
    ``(d) Requirements for Student Suicide Awareness and Training 
Programs.--
            ``(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 elementary and 
                secondary schools and students in secondary 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-informed; and
                            ``(iii) includes training on--
                                    ``(I) the warning signs of, and 
                                elevated risk factors for, poor 
                                emotional 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 
                                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 
                        intersectionality sensitivity; and
                            ``(ii) an overview of applicable Federal, 
                        State, and local law concerning reporting 
                        requirements.
            ``(2) Definitions.--As used in subsection (a)(6) and this 
        subsection:
                    ``(A) The term `evidence-informed' means informed 
                by practices that--
                            ``(i) use the best available research and 
                        practice knowledge to guide program design and 
                        implementation;
                            ``(ii) allow for innovation while 
                        incorporating the lessons learned from the 
                        existing research literature; and
                            ``(iii) are responsive to families' 
                        cultural backgrounds, community values, and 
                        individual preferences.
                    ``(B) The term `school-based mental health services 
                provider' includes a State-licensed or State-certified 
                school counselor, school psychologist, school social 
                worker, or other State-licensed 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 operating 
                        library, media, and computer centers); 
                        specialized instructional support personnel 
                        such as school counselors, school social 
                        workers, and school psychologists; and other 
                        qualified professional personnel, such as 
                        school nurses, speech language pathologists, 
                        and school librarians, involved in providing 
                        assessment, diagnosis, counseling, and 
                        educational, therapeutic, and other necessary 
                        services; and
                            ``(ii) other school employees and 
                        contractors who interact with students, 
                        including 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 redesignated 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 ``2028''; 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 elementary and 
        secondary schools and students in secondary schools to complete 
        student emotional well-being, mental health, and suicide 
        awareness and prevention training).''.
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