,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cjjf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #aj1 
#bjai,ms4 ,murkowski 7for herself1 ,mr4 
,jones1 ,mr4 ,king1 and ,mr4 ,gardner7  
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
amend the ,public ,health ,service ,act 
to establish a program to improve the   
identification1 assessment1 and         
treatment of patients in the emergency  
department who are at risk of suicide1  
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,effective ,suicide ,screening and      
,assessment in the ,emergency           
,department ,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,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 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bhj;g et  
seq47 is amended by adding at the end   

the following new section3  #cii,v-#g4  
,program to improve the care provided to
 patients in the emergency department   
who are at risk of suicide  7a7 ,in     
general ,the ,secretary shall establish 
a program 7in this ,act referred to as  
the ,program7 to improve the            
identification1 assessment1 and         
treatment of patients in emergency      
departments who are at risk for suicide1
 including by--  7#a7 developing        
policies and procedures for identifying 
and assessing individuals who are at    
risk of suicide2 and  7#b7 enhancing the
 coordination of care for such          
individuals after discharge4  7b7 ,grant
 establishment and participation  7#a7  
,in general ,in carrying out the        
,program1 the ,secretary shall award    
grants on a competitive basis to not    
more than #dj eligible health care sites
 described in paragraph 7#b74  7#b7     
,eligibility ,to be eligible for a grant
 under this section1 a health care site 
shall-- 7,a7 submit an application to   

the ,secretary at such time1 in such    
manner1 and containing such information 
as the ,secretary may specify2  7,b7 be 
a hospital 7as defined in section       
#ahfa7;e7 of the ,social ,security      
,act72  7,c7 have an emergency          
department2 and  7,d7 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 services4  7#c7 ,preference ,in
 awarding grants under this section1 the
 ,secretary may give preference to      
eligible health care sites described in 
paragraph 7#b7 that meet at least one of
 the following criteria3  7,a7 ,the     
eligible health care site is a critical 
access hospital 7as defined in section  
#ahfa7mm77#a7 of the ,social ,security  
,act74  7,b7 ,the eligible health care  
site is a sole community hospital 7as   
defined in section                      
#ahhf7;d77#e77;,d77iii7 of the ,social  
,security ,act74  7,c7 ,the eligible    

health care site is operated by the     
,indian ,health ,service1 by an ,indian 
,tribe or ,tribal organization 7as such 
terms are defined in section #d of the  
,indian ,self-,determination and        
,education ,assistance ,act71 or by an  
urban ,indian organization 7as defined  
in section #d of the ,indian ,health    
,care ,improvement ,act74  7,d7 ,the    
eligible health care site is located in 
a geographic area with a suicide rate   
that is higher than the national rate1  
as determined by the ,secretary based on
 the most recent data from the ,centers 
for ,disease ,control and ,prevention4  
7c7 ,period of grant ,a grant awarded to
 an eligible health care site under this
 section shall be for a period of at    
least #b years4  7d7 ,grant uses  7#a7  
,required uses ,a grant awarded under   
this section to an eligible health care 
site shall be used for the following    
purposes3  7,a7 ,to train emergency     
department health care professionals to 
identify1 assess1 and treat patients who

 are at risk of suicide4  7,b7 ,to      
establish and implement policies and    
procedures for emergency departments to 
improve the identification1 assessment1 
and treatment of individuals who are at 
risk of suicide4  7,c7 ,to establish and
 implement policies and procedures with 
respect to care coordination1 integrated
 care models1 or referral to            
evidence-based treatment to be used upon
 the discharge from the emergency       
department of patients who are at risk  
of suicide4  7#b7 ,additional           
permissible uses ,in addition to the    
required uses listed in paragraph 7#a71 
a grant awarded under this section to an
 eligible health care site may be used  
for any of the following purposes3  7,a7
 ,to hire emergency department          
psychiatrists1 psychologists1 nurse     
practitioners1 counselors1 therapists1  
or other licensed health care and       
behavioral health professionals         
specializing in the treatment of        
individuals at risk of suicide4  7,b7   

,to develop and implement best practices
 for the follow-up care and long-term   
treatment of individuals who are at risk
 of suicide4  7,c7 ,to increase the     
availability of1 and access to1         
evidence-based treatment for individuals
 who are at risk of suicide1 including  
through telehealth services and         
strategies to reduce the boarding of    
these patients in emergency departments4
  7,d7 ,to offer consultation with and  
referral to other supportive services   
that provide evidence-based treatment   
and recovery for individuals who are at 
risk of suicide4  7e7 ,reporting        
requirements  7#a7 ,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 grant4 ,each
 such report shall include information  
on--  7,a7 the number of individuals    
screened in the site's emergency        

department for being at risk of suicide2
  7,b7 the number of individuals        
identified in the site's emergency      
department as being--  7i7 survivors of 
an attempted suicide2 or  7ii7 are at   
risk of suicide2  7,c7 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 7d77#b77;,a72    
7,d7 the number of individuals referred 
by the site's emergency department to   
other treatment facilities1 the types of
 such other facilities1 and the number  
of such individuals admitted to such    
other facilities pursuant to such       
referrals2  7,e7 the effectiveness of   
programs and activities funded through  
the grant in preventing suicides and    
suicide attempts2 and  7,f7 any other   
relevant additional data regarding the  
programs and activities funded through  
the grant4  7#b7 ,report by ,secretary  
,not later than one year after the end  

of fiscal year #bjbd1 the ,secretary    
shall submit to ,congress a report that 
includes--  7,a7 findings on the        
,program2  7,b7 overall patient outcomes
 achieved through the ,program2  7,c7 an
 evaluation of the effectiveness of     
having a trained health care or         
behavioral health professional onsite to
 identify1 assess1 and treat patients   
who are at risk of suicide2 and  7,d7 a 
compilation of policies1 procedures1 and
 best practices established1 developed1 
or implemented by grantees under this   
section4  7f7 ,authorization of         
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to carry out this       
section #bj1jjj1jjj for the period of   
fiscal years #bjbj through #bjbd4  4