Sec. 2. Grant program to address youth suicide and lethal means
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/bill/119/s/4210/is/section-2A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Beginning not later than 1 year after the date of 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. 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.
In this section, the term eligible entity includes— a State; a State or local health department; a professional membership organization that specializes in health care; a hospital that serves covered individuals; a nonprofit organization; and an institution of higher education. 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— 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; 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; covered risk factors and the relationship of such factors to suicide and self-harm; suicide prevention and intervention; support strategies for covered individuals after the occurrence of a suicide or suicide attempt; racial and ethnic disparities with respect to covered individuals who attempt suicide or self-harm, disaggregated by the age and gender of covered individuals; 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;
State and Federal laws with respect to the use and possession of firearms; communication strategies to discuss such laws with covered individuals and the family members or guardians of such individuals; and 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. 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.
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 strategy to make secure gun storage or safety devices available at reduced or no cost to residences with at least one covered individual; and 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.
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. 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. Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall submit, on an annual basis through fiscal year 2030, a report to the Secretary on the activities carried out through the grant. The Secretary shall make each report submitted under subparagraph
(A)publicly available on the website of the Department of Health and Human Services. Not later than the end of fiscal year 2030, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress that includes— a summary of the reports submitted to the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (1); and recommendations with respect to the implementation of evidence-aligned practices in health care settings to reduce the suicide rates of covered individuals. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2027 through 2030.