Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§290bb–43 Adult suicide prevention

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 6A— - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III–A— - SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION › Part Part B— - Centers and Programs › Subpart subpart 3— - center for mental health services › § 290bb–43

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Assistant Secretary must give grants to groups to run suicide prevention and intervention programs for adults. The programs should raise awareness, set up referral systems, and improve care for adults at risk of suicide. Eligible groups include community primary care or behavioral health clinics, emergency departments, state mental or public health agencies, U.S. territories, and Indian tribes or tribal organizations. Grants must fund one or more of these: screening and referral, evidence-based treatment with follow-up, or public awareness to encourage help-seeking. The Assistant Secretary must evaluate the work, share results, offer training and technical help, and find best practices for emergency department care and follow-up. Grants can run up to 5 years. Congress authorized $30,000,000 each year for fiscal years 2023–2027.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §290bb–43

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The Assistant Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities described in paragraph (2) to implement suicide prevention and intervention programs, for adult individuals, that are designed to raise awareness of suicide prevention, establish referral processes, and improve care and outcomes for such individuals who are at risk of suicide.
(2)To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall be a community-based primary care or behavioral health care setting, an emergency department, a State mental health agency (or State health agency with mental or behavioral health functions), public health agency, a territory of the United States, or an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization (as the terms “Indian Tribe” and “Tribal organization” are defined in section 5304 of title 25).
(3)The grants awarded under paragraph (1) shall be used to implement programs, in accordance with such paragraph, that include one or more of the following components:
(A)Screening for suicide risk, suicide intervention services, and services for referral for treatment for individuals at risk for suicide.
(B)Implementing evidence-based practices to provide treatment for individuals at risk for suicide, including appropriate followup services.
(C)Raising awareness of suicide prevention resources and promoting help seeking among those at risk for suicide.
(b)The Assistant Secretary shall—
(1)evaluate the activities supported by grants awarded under subsection (a), and disseminate, as appropriate, the findings from the evaluation;
(2)provide appropriate information, training, and technical assistance, as appropriate, to eligible entities that receive a grant under this section, in order to help such entities to meet the requirements of this section, including assistance with selection and implementation of evidence-based interventions and frameworks to prevent suicide; and
(3)identify best practices, as applicable, to improve the identification, assessment, treatment, and timely transition, as appropriate, to additional or follow-up care for individuals in emergency departments who are at risk for suicide and enhance the coordination of care for such individuals during and after discharge, in support of activities under subsection (a).
(c)A grant under this section shall be for a period of not more than 5 years.
(d)There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 117–328, § 1122(c)(1)(A), substituted “adult individuals” for “individuals who are 25 years of age or older” and inserted “prevention” after “raise awareness of suicide”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 117–328, § 1122(c)(1)(B), in two places, substituted “Indian Tribe” for “Indian tribe” and “Tribal organization” for “tribal organization”. Subsec. (a)(3)(C). Pub. L. 117–328, § 1122(c)(1)(C), amended subpar. (C) generally. Prior to amendment, subpar. (C) read as follows: “Raising awareness and reducing stigma of suicide.” Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 117–328, § 1122(c)(2), added par. (3). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 117–328, § 1122(c)(3), substituted “$30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027” for “$30,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2018 through 2022”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 290bb–43

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73