H.R. 10991: Suicide Prevention for At-Risk K-12 Students Act (119th Congress) Bill Summary

This bill would create a new federal grant program to help school districts and other local education agencies adopt youth suicide prevention programs for students ages 10 to 20.

What the federal government would do

The Secretary of Health and Human Services would have to set up the grant program within 1 year after the bill becomes law.
The department would identify suicide prevention programs that are:
- aimed at youth ages 10 to 20,
- based on evidence, and
- designed to be culturally responsive.
The department would publish a list of approved programs and issue standards for how they should be carried out.
The department would also provide technical assistance to schools that receive grants.

What schools would have to do to get a grant

To apply, a school district would need to submit information showing:

which student groups may be at higher risk for suicide or self-harm;
research on the cultural background of the community it serves;
which approved program it plans to use; and
a commitment to start the program within 120 days of receiving the grant, run it in a culturally competent way, and evaluate how well it works.

How the grant money could be used

Grant recipients would have to use the money to:

implement an approved suicide prevention program;
train school staff on youth suicide prevention; and
evaluate the program’s results.

Other requirements

Grants could last no more than 2 years for each school district.
School districts would have to report to the Secretary within 1 year of receiving a grant, and then every year after that during the grant period.
Those reports would have to describe the program’s results and include data needed for evaluation.
Within 4 years, the Secretary would have to report to Congress on the standards used, the results of the grant program, and whether it should continue.
If no grants are awarded within 2 years, the Secretary would have to explain to Congress why not.