On July 8, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, a bill (S. 2634) that would authorize grants for state suicide prevention programs. Sponsored by Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT), the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act is named for the son of Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) who died last year at age 21.
S. 2634 would authorize funding through FY2009 for the implementation of state-sponsored youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies. The measure also would authorize grants aimed at suicide prevention programs on college campuses “to increase access to, and enhance the range of, services for students with mental and behavioral health problems that can lead to school failure, such as depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts.” Finally, the bill would establish a technical assistance center to help local and state providers of suicide prevention programs.
