Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act of 2020
This bill establishes a competitive grant program for up to 40 hospitals with emergency departments and certain on-site professionals to help connect patients in emergency departments who are at risk of suicide with treatment and mental health services. Grants may be used to train emergency department providers and establish certain policies and procedures related to the identification, assessment, and treatment of, and care coordination for, individuals who are at risk of suicide. In awarding the grants, the Department of Health and Human Services may give preference to specified types of hospitals, such as critical access hospitals and hospitals in areas with suicide rates higher than the national average.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4861 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4861
To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a program to
improve the identification, assessment, and treatment of patients in
the emergency department who are at risk of suicide, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 28, 2019
Mr. Bilirakis (for himself and Mr. Engel) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a program to
improve the identification, assessment, and treatment of patients in
the emergency department who are at risk of suicide, 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 ``Effective Suicide Screening and
Assessment in the Emergency Department Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. PROGRAM TO IMPROVE THE CARE PROVIDED TO PATIENTS IN THE
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WHO ARE AT RISK OF SUICIDE.
Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new
section:
``SEC. 399V-7. PROGRAM TO IMPROVE THE CARE PROVIDED TO PATIENTS IN THE
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT WHO ARE AT RISK OF SUICIDE.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a program (in this
Act referred to as the `Program') to improve the identification,
assessment, and treatment of patients in emergency departments who are
at risk for suicide, including by--
``(1) developing policies and procedures for identifying
and assessing individuals who are at risk of suicide; and
``(2) enhancing the coordination of care for such
individuals after discharge.
``(b) Grant Establishment and Participation.--
``(1) In general.--In carrying out the Program, the
Secretary shall award grants on a competitive basis to not more
than 40 eligible health care sites described in paragraph (2).
``(2) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant under this
section, a health care site shall--
``(A) submit an application to the Secretary at
such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may specify;
``(B) be a hospital (as defined in section 1861(e)
of the Social Security Act);
``(C) have an emergency department; and
``(D) deploy onsite health care or social service
professionals to help connect and integrate patients
who are at risk of suicide with treatment and mental
health support services.
``(3) Preference.--In awarding grants under this section,
the Secretary may give preference to eligible health care sites
described in paragraph (2) that meet at least one of the
following criteria:
``(A) The eligible health care site is a critical
access hospital (as defined in section 1861(mm)(1) of
the Social Security Act).
``(B) The eligible health care site is a sole
community hospital (as defined in section
1886(d)(5)(D)(iii) of the Social Security Act).
``(C) The eligible health care site is operated by
the Indian Health Service, by an Indian tribe or tribal
organization (as such terms are defined in section 4 of
the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance
Act), or by an urban Indian organization (as defined in
section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act).
``(D) The eligible health care site is located in a
geographic area with a suicide rate that is higher than
the national rate, as determined by the Secretary based
on the most recent data from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
``(c) Period of Grant.--A grant awarded to an eligible health care
site under this section shall be for a period of at least 2 years.
``(d) Grant Uses.--
``(1) Required uses.--A grant awarded under this section to
an eligible health care site shall be used for the following
purposes:
``(A) To train emergency department health care
professionals to identify, assess, and treat patients
who are at risk of suicide.
``(B) To establish and implement policies and
procedures for emergency departments to improve the
identification, assessment and treatment of individuals
who are at risk of suicide.
``(C) To establish and implement policies and
procedures with respect to care coordination,
integrated care models, or referral to evidence-based
treatment to be used upon the discharge from the
emergency department of patients who are at risk of
suicide.
``(2) Additional permissible uses.--In addition to the
required uses listed in paragraph (1), a grant awarded under
this section to an eligible health care site may be used for
any of the following purposes:
``(A) To hire emergency department psychiatrists,
psychologists, nurse practitioners, counselors,
therapists, or other licensed health care and
behavioral health professionals specializing in the
treatment of individuals at risk of suicide.
``(B) To develop and implement best practices for
the follow-up care and long-term treatment of
individuals who are at risk of suicide.
``(C) To increase the availability of and access to
evidence-based treatment for individuals who are at
risk of suicide, including through telehealth services
and strategies to reduce the boarding of these patients
in emergency departments.
``(D) To offer consultation with and referral to
other supportive services that provide evidence-based
treatment and recovery for individuals who are at risk
of suicide.
``(e) Reporting Requirements.--
``(1) Reports by grantees.--Each eligible health care site
receiving a grant under this section shall submit to the
Secretary an annual report for each year for which the grant is
received on the progress of the program funded through the
grant. Each such report shall include information on--
``(A) the number of individuals screened in the
site's emergency department for being at risk of
suicide;
``(B) the number of individuals identified in the
site's emergency department as being--
``(i) survivors of an attempted suicide; or
``(ii) are at risk of suicide;
``(C) the number of individuals who are identified
in the site's emergency department as being at risk of
suicide by a health care or behavioral health
professional hired pursuant to subsection (d)(2)(A);
``(D) the number of individuals referred by the
site's emergency department to other treatment
facilities, the types of such other facilities, and the
number of such individuals admitted to such other
facilities pursuant to such referrals;
``(E) the effectiveness of programs and activities
funded through the grant in preventing suicides and
suicide attempts; and
``(F) any other relevant additional data regarding
the programs and activities funded through the grant.
``(2) Report by secretary.--Not less than one year after
the end of fiscal year 2024, the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a report that includes--
``(A) findings on the Program;
``(B) overall patient outcomes achieved through the
Program;
``(C) an evaluation of the effectiveness of having
a trained health care or behavioral health professional
onsite to identify, assess, and treat patients who are
at risk of suicide; and
``(D) a compilation of policies, procedures, and
best practices established, developed, or implemented
by grantees under this section.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for the period of
fiscal years 2020 through 2024.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 116-543.
Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 116-543.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 443.
Mr. Pallone moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5017-5019)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4861.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5017)
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.