Evidence-Based Youth Suicide Prevention Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8989
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-21: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-23T18:47:17Z
AI-Generated Summary
Evidence-Based Youth Suicide Prevention Act of 2026
Purpose This legislation aims to address youth suicide by directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish demonstration programs that develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based strategies for preventing suicide among children and adolescents, with a focus on school and community settings.
Key Provisions
- Adds a new Section 520D to Title V of the Public Health Service Act, authorizing the Secretary to carry out demonstration programs directly or through grants, contracts, or agreements with eligible entities.
- Requires programs to prioritize schools, educational institutions, and youth-support settings, while coordinating with state, tribal, and local educational agencies and public health organizations.
- Defines eligible entities as states, state or local educational agencies, designated public or private nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education.
- Allows activities including piloting and scaling suicide prevention programs in schools, evaluating existing protocols for effectiveness, and other related efforts.
- Mandates technical assistance for recipients on outcome identification, data collection, evaluation, and reporting.
- Establishes a tiered definition of "evidence-based" interventions (strong, moderate, or promising evidence) based on study design, statistical significance, and real-world applicability, with alignment to other federal mental health definitions where feasible.
- Requires prioritization of funding for stronger evidence levels while reserving some funds for promising approaches with evaluation plans.
- Directs monitoring of outcomes such as suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, academic performance, social-emotional indicators, attendance, and implementation metrics.
- Incorporates community engagement requirements per federal regulations and evaluation standards from the Office of Management and Budget.
- Requires the Secretary to submit an initial report to Congress within 90 days and annual reports thereafter summarizing findings and lessons.
- Authorizes appropriations as necessary for fiscal years 2027 through 2032.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill introduces a new dedicated section (520D) into the Public Health Service Act following section 520C, creating a structured federal demonstration program for youth suicide prevention that did not previously exist in this form. It expands the Secretary's authority to fund and oversee evidence-based initiatives in educational settings.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Increases responsibilities for the Department of Health and Human Services in program administration, technical support, and reporting; may involve coordination with the Department of Education.
- On citizens: Aims to improve access to proven suicide prevention strategies for children, adolescents, families, and schools, potentially reducing mental health crises through scaled interventions.
- No direct effects on international relations are specified.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal agencies, particularly the Department of Health and Human Services.
- State, tribal, and local educational agencies and public health organizations.
- Schools, institutions of higher education, and community-based organizations.
- Children and adolescents, along with their families and communities.
- Nonprofit organizations and researchers involved in mental health and education.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The legislation operates within established federal public health authority under the Public Health Service Act and includes standard requirements for evidence evaluation and community input, with no apparent constitutional conflicts or major political alterations to existing frameworks.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7]
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-21: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2026-05-21: Introduced in House
- 2026-05-21: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Evidence-Based Youth Suicide Prevention Act of 2026 — issued 2026-05-21 — PDF (9 pages)