Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Cady Housh and Jason Flatt Teen Suicide Prevention Act of 2017”.
Cady Housh and Jason Flatt Teen Suicide Prevention Act of 2017
A BILL
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require that teachers, principals, counselors, and other school leaders receive youth suicide awareness and prevention training.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress finds the following:
Since 2010, suicide has been the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10–24 with more than 100 young people lost each week.
According to the 2013 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behaviors Survey, 17 percent of high school students reported seriously considering suicide during the last year of high school and about 8 percent of high school students attempt suicide during that period.
80 percent of students show warning signs before attempting suicide.
Sec. 3 Suicide awareness and prevention training
In general— Subpart 2 of part F of title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7901 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“8549D. Suicide awareness and prevention training
“(a) In general—Each State receiving funds under this Act shall establish and implement a statewide policy that school leaders, counselors, teachers, paraprofessionals, and other staff shall complete at least one hour of youth suicide awareness and prevention training each school year.
“(b) Youth suicide awareness and prevention training defined—In this section, the term “youth suicide awareness and prevention training” includes self or in-person review of materials—
“(1) the State determines appropriate; and
“(2) that include—
“(A) the warning signs of, and elevate risk factors for, suicide;
“(B) suggested responses to such warning signs; and
“(C) further suicide awareness and prevention resources.
“(c) Rule of construction—Nothing in this section shall be construed to preempt any State law to the extent that such State law imposes a more extensive requirement for youth suicide awareness and prevention training in such State.”
Sense of Congress— It is the sense of Congress that—
youth suicide awareness and prevention training materials should be available to all school teachers, principals, and other school leaders;
each local educational agency should adopt a policy with respect to youth suicide awareness and prevention; and
the Secretary of Education should collaborate with the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publically display and distribute information and resources on teen suicide prevention.