POLICY & LEGISLATION

Policy and Legislative Documents

• A Message on Suicide Prevention
  A policy statement from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  
  
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
  Suicide and Suicide Attempts in Adolescents (Policy Statement)
  
  
• "Kids and Guns," Juvenile Justice Bulletin
  This site provides statistical information, compiled by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice, related to firearm use by juveniles, including homicides and suicides.
  
  
• Guidelines for School Based Suicide Prevention Programs
  A 1999 report from the American Association of Suicidology
  
  
• Reports of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health
  The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health was established as part of the President's agenda to enable Americans with mental illness to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities. The Commission's recommendations are presented in its final report released in May 2003. The report includes a section on the importance of suicide prevention in a comprehensive mental health system, and the very first recommendation of the report is "Advance and implement a national campaign to reduce the stigma of seeking care and a national strategy for suicide prevention."
  
  
• Legislative Advisories
  From the American Association on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
  
  
• Legislative bills from the 108th Congress that mention suicide are listed below. When accessing Legislative bills page, type "suicide" in the search box.
  
  

  Eating Disorders Awareness, Prevention, and Education Act of 2003 (Introduced in House) [H.R.873.IH]
  
  Medicare Mental Health Modernization Act of 2003 (Introduced in Senate)[S.646.IS]
  
  Give a Kid a Chance Omnibus Mental Health Services Act of 2003 (Introduced in House)[H.R.81.IH]
  
  Melanie Blocker-Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.846.IH]
  
  Melanie Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.450.IS]
  
  Responsible Fatherhood Act of 2003 (Introduced in Senate)[S.604.IS]
  
  Domestic Violence Screening, Treatment, and Prevention Act of 2003 (Introduced in House)[H.R.1267.IH]
  
  IMPACT Act (Introduced in House)[H.R.716.IH]
  
  Indian Health Care Improvement Act Reauthorization of 2003 (Introduced in Senate)[S.556.IS]
  
  Personal Responsibility, Work, and Family Promotion Act of 2003 (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House)[H.R.4.EH]
  
  Personal Responsibility, Work, and Family Promotion Act of 2003 (Introduced in House) [H.R.4.IH]
  
  Compassion and Personal Responsibility Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.5.IS]
  
  Justice Enhancement and Domestic Security Act of 2003 (Introduced in Senate)[S.22.IS]
  
  Leave No Child Behind Act of 2003 (Introduced in Senate)[S.448.IS]
  
  Leave No Child Behind Act of 2003 (Introduced in House)[H.R.936.IH]

  • Assisted Suicide
    A brief summary of the assisted suicide debate is presented here, including legislative and ethical issues.
    
    
  • Assisted Suicide: A Disability Perspective
    Written for the National Council on Disability, this paper analyzes the issues related to assisted suicide and discusses current court cases.
    
    
  • Assisted Suicide and End-of-Life Decisions
    A report from an American Psychological Association Working Group.
    
    

  Legislative Web Sites that are searchable

  • THOMAS: Legislative Information on the Internet
    A service of the Library of Congress.
    
    
  • U.S. House of Representatives
    
    
  • U.S. Senate
    
    
  • Information Sources for Legislative Research

  Other Legislative Web Sites

  • National Conference of State Legislatures
    
    
  • National Governors' Association

  Testimony to the Senate on Suicide, February 8, 2000

  • Suicide Awareness and Prevention
    Steven E. Hyman, M.D.
  • Suicide Among Older Americans
    Mark Rosenberg, M.D., M.P.P.
  • Suicide Awareness and Prevention
    David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.