What does Preamble of Evidence-Based Youth Suicide Prevention Act of 2026 do?

This bill, formally titled 'To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out demonstration programs to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based strategies to prevent suicide among children and adolescents, and for other purposes,' aims to amend the Public Health Service Act. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct demonstration programs. These programs are intended to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based strategies. The focus of these strategies is suicide prevention among children and adolescents.

What does SHORT TITLE. of Evidence-Based Youth Suicide Prevention Act of 2026 do?

This bill is formally titled the Evidence-Based Youth Suicide Prevention Act of 2026.

What does FINDINGS. of Evidence-Based Youth Suicide Prevention Act of 2026 do?

This section establishes findings related to suicide among children and adolescents. Suicide is identified as the second-leading cause of death among children and adolescents, with schools often being the initial place warning signs are observed. A 2023 CDC report indicated that 40% of high school students reported persistent sadness or hopelessness, 18% experienced major depression, and 10% attempted suicide. School districts are described as facing an urgent need to manage mental health crises. There is a lack of accessible evidence regarding effective approaches to reduce suicide attempts and deaths when implemented broadly.

What does YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAM. of Evidence-Based Youth Suicide Prevention Act of 2026 do?

This section establishes the Youth Suicide Prevention Program under Title V of the Public Health Service Act. The Secretary is directed to carry out demonstration programs to prevent suicide among children and adolescents, directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements. Demonstration programs should prioritize implementation in schools and other youth-support settings, requiring coordination with various educational and public health agencies. Eligible entities to receive assistance include States, educational agencies, public or private nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education. Activities may include piloting, implementing, and evaluating suicide prevention programs, as well as assessing existing protocols. The Secretary must provide technical assistance to recipients, including assistance with data collection and evaluation design. The term 'evidence-based' is defined based on statistical impact, implementation description, and the strength of supporting evidence (strong, moderate, or promising). Funding allocation will prioritize interventions with stronger evidence, while also reserving funds for promising approaches with rigorous evaluation plans. The Secretary will identify and monitor outcome measures, including mental health, academic, social-emotional learning, and engagement indicators. Community engagement is required, and evaluations must adhere to Federal program evaluation standards.

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Evidence-Based Youth Suicide Prevention Act of 2026

Last updated: 5/21/2026 · Introduced: 5/21/2026

Author: Brittany Pettersen (D-CO)

TL;DR (AI)

This bill establishes the Youth Suicide Prevention Program to fund demonstration programs focused on preventing suicide among children and adolescents, prioritizing implementation in schools and youth-support settings.
The program will support piloting, implementing, and evaluating suicide prevention strategies, with funding prioritized for interventions backed by strong evidence and rigorous evaluation plans.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services must provide technical assistance to program recipients, including guidance on data collection and evaluation design, and requires community engagement in program activities.

119th Congressin committeeOfficial page

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Other Sections

Includes provisions on preamble, short title., and 2 more.

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