Suicide Training and Awareness Nationally Delivered for Universal Prevention Act of 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and the chairman for his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, last year, I visited Bernardo Heights Middle School in Rancho Bernardo to meet with students of the school's SAVE Promise Club and the Mental Health Awareness Club.

The kids told me about their efforts to make their peers feel more accepted by creating a culture of kindness and by using their voices to end the stigma surrounding mental health. They explained their work with programs intended to promote inclusivity and to prevent violence by teaching children and adults to identify, intervene, and help those at risk of harming themselves or others.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide is the second leading cause of death by those 10 to 24 years old, with cases of suicide among Black and other minority youth rapidly rising.

The good news is that adolescent suicide and violence can be prevented if others heed the warning signs.

Seventy percent of those who die by suicide tell someone their plans or demonstrate warning signs ahead of time. Eighty percent of school shooters tell someone their plans ahead of time.

That is why I teamed up with my friend from Florida, Mr. Gus Bilirakis, to introduce the bipartisan STANDUP Act.

The Act requires States, schools, and Tribes to implement evidence- based policies to prevent suicides in order to receive Project AWARE grants, which boost youth mental health awareness among schools and communities.

These policies are key to preventing school violence by encouraging early prevention, teaching warning signs, and providing schools with crucial tools to help stop violence before it happens.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Sandy Hook Promise, who helped champion this bill, and for hosting my visit at Bernardo Heights Middle School. Along with them, over 50 student and mental health-focused organizations support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank all the Bernardo Heights Bobcats, who care so well for each other's mental health. We want to bring that same spirit, their same spirit, to every school in the country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass the STANDUP Act to protect our students and enhance school safety.

Go Bobcats.

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