Frank Pallone

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing. Madam Speaker, I am sure we will notice as we go through the suspension calendar today that we have a number of bills that deal with addiction and behavioral health issues. This is Mental Health Month that we are observing today, and this is one of the bills that is a very important part of this group. Madam Speaker, I urge support on a bipartisan basis, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1475) to address mental health issues for youth, particularly youth of color, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1475.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 721) to amend the Public Health Service Act to revise and extend projects relating to children and to provide access to school- based comprehensive mental health programs, as amended.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 721.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, as my colleague from Kentucky points out, with these bills today, we are trying to reach out and deal with these mental and behavioral health problems in various settings. In this case, it is the school-based setting, which I think is one of the most effective. So for that reason, I would ask my colleagues to support this legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 586) to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide best practices on student suicide awareness and prevention training and condition State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and tribal educational agencies receiving funds under section 520A of such Act to establish and implement a school-based student suicide awareness and prevention training policy.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2877) to amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop best practices for the establishment and use of behavioral intervention teams at schools, and for other purposes.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2877.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1260.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1205) to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Center for Mental Health Services of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to award grants to implement innovative approaches to securing prompt access to appropriate follow-on care for individuals who experience an acute mental health episode and present for care in an emergency department, and for other purposes.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1205.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1324) to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a program to improve the identification, assessment, and treatment of patients in hospital emergency departments who are at risk of suicide, and for other purposes.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1324.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1324, the Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused tremendous suffering in our country over the past year and has negatively impacted the mental health of so many Americans. In fact, rates of mental health disorders, like depression and anxiety, that may lead to suicide have gone up almost fourfold. According to the National Centers for Health Statistics, over 44,000 people died from suicide last year. However, these numbers may not fully reflect the deaths that occurred secondary to despair from the pandemic. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 34, impacting children and people in the prime of their lives. We also saw this during the pandemic with a spike in suicide deaths for first responders. For example, who can forget the story of Dr. Lorna Breen, an emergency room physician in New York, who dedicated herself to fighting the pandemic, but then tragically died from suicide after experiencing extreme burnout? To counter these unnecessary deaths, we need to provide more resources to our providers on the front lines of emergency departments across the country. It is particularly important that we focus on those with limited resources, including Critical Access Hospitals, facilities serving Native Americans, and emergency departments in communities with high rates of suicide. Resources for healthcare providers in the emergency department are important since they are often in the position of providing for patients at the highest risk for suicide with approximately 10 percent of emergency department patients presenting for treatment of suicidal ideations. Unfortunately, almost 40 percent of patients visiting an emergency department following a suicide attempt will go on to reattempt suicide within a year. Madam Speaker, this bill will assist emergency departments by providing better training to emergency healthcare providers, establishing policies to improve identification and treatment of individuals at risk for suicide, employing additional behavioral health professionals, and improving access to care for patients. I thank Representatives Bilirakis and Soto and their staff for their tireless effort on this bill. Again, bipartisan. Madam Speaker, suicide deaths are a preventable tragedy that negatively impact families and loved ones and rob us of young people in the prime of their lives. So whatever we can do to prevent this is going to be so important. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1324, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I also urge support for this bill. Again, this is dealing with trying to alert potential problems or potential for suicide in the emergency department, a very important part of this package. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1480) to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among public safety officers, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2862) to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a national suicide prevention media campaign, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2862.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2981) to amend the Public Health Service Act to ensure the provision of high-quality service through the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and for other purposes.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2955) to authorize a pilot program to expand and intensify surveillance of self-harm in partnership with State and local public health departments, to establish a grant program to provide self-harm and suicide prevention services in hospital emergency departments, and for other purposes.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2955.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 768) to amend the Controlled Substances Act to clarify the process for registrants to exercise due diligence upon discovering a suspicious order, and for other purposes.

Mr. PALLONE

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1629) to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to limitations on exclusive approval or licensure of orphan drugs, and for other purposes.

Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1629.