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H.R. 7103House115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

Suicide Prevention Analytics Act of 2018

Sponsored by John K. DelaneyRep. John K. Delaney (D-MD)
Introduced October 30, 2018

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 16, 2026 at 12:10 AM UTC

The Suicide Prevention Analytics Act of 2018 creates a pilot program that lets the CDC work with state and local health departments to better track self‑harm and suicidal thoughts. By sharing real‑time data, the program aims to identify suicide clusters, inform prevention efforts, and support research, while protecting privacy. The program expands over five years, with annual reporting to Congress and funding provided for its operation.

Key Provisions

  • The HHS Secretary, through the CDC, must run a pilot program to expand surveillance of self‑harm and suicidal thoughts, working with selected state and local health departments.
  • Partners are chosen to represent diverse populations, geography, urban/rural areas, and demographic groups.
  • The program will start with 4 health departments in FY 2019 and grow to 50 departments by FY 2023, each committing to at least two years of participation.
  • Participating departments must share real‑time data on self‑harm and suicidal ideation with the CDC via the ESSENCE platform (or a similar system) for tracking clusters, guiding prevention, and supporting research.
  • All data handling must follow existing federal privacy laws (HIPAA and related statutes).
  • The Secretary must submit annual reports to Congress from 2020‑2024 detailing data collected, implementation challenges, public‑health responses, and recommendations, with a final report advising on reauthorizing or expanding the program.
  • The bill defines “self‑harm” (including non‑lethal injuries, overdoses, gun injuries) and “suicidal ideation” (thinking about or planning suicide).
  • Funding is authorized at $500,000 for FY 2019 and additional amounts as needed for FY 2020‑2023.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Energy and Commerce Committee

October 30, 2018

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

October 30, 2018

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Energy and Commerce Committee

October 30, 2018

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued October 30, 2018

I

115th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 7103

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 30, 2018

Mr. Delaney (for himself and Mr. Stewart) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

A BILL

To authorize a pilot program under which the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, expands and intensifies surveillance of self-harm and suicidal ideation behavior in partnership with State and local public health departments, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Suicide Prevention Analytics Act of 2018.

2.

Syndromic Surveillance of Self-Harm Behaviors and Suicidal Ideation Program

Title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 317T of such Act (42 U.S.C. 247b–22) the following:

317U.

Syndromic Surveillance of Self-Harm Behaviors and Suicidal Ideation Program

(a)

In general

The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall carry out a pilot program, to be known as the Syndromic Surveillance of Self-Harm Behaviors and Suicidal Ideation Program, under which the Secretary expands and intensifies surveillance of self-harm and suicidal ideation behavior through—

(1)

the selection of State and local public health departments as partners in the pilot program; and

(2)

the provision of assistance, including an award of funds, to each such partner.

(b)

Selection

In selecting State and local public health departments as partners in the pilot program under this section, the Secretary shall—

(1)

seek to select a diverse set of sites; and

(2)

consider such criteria as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, which criteria shall include—

(A)

population coverage;

(B)

geographical coverage;

(C)

urban and rural community representation; and

(D)

demographic makeup, including socioeconomic groupings, race, gender, and ethnicity.

(c)

Number of State and local public health departments

In carrying out the pilot program under this section, the Secretary shall enter into and maintain partnerships with the following number of State and local public health departments:

(1)

For fiscal year 2019, 4 departments.

(2)

For fiscal year 2020, 15 departments.

(3)

For fiscal year 2021, 25 departments.

(4)

For fiscal year 2022, 35 departments.

(5)

For fiscal year 2023, 50 departments.

(d)

Period of participation

To be selected as a partner in the pilot program under this section, a State or local public health department shall agree to participate in the program for a period of not less than 2 years.

(e)

Data sharing by HHS

Subject to subsection (g), the Secretary shall, with respect to data on self-harm and suicidal ideation behavior that is collected pursuant to this section, share such data through—

(1)

the National Syndromic Surveillance Program’s Early Notification of Community Epidemics (ESSENCE) platform (or any successor platform); or

(2)

another appropriate surveillance program.

(f)

Data sharing by partners

As a condition on participating in the pilot program under this section, subject to subsection (g), a State or local public health department shall agree to share in real time (to the extent possible) with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data on self-harm and suicidal ideation behavior for purposes of—

(1)

tracking and monitoring self-harm and suicidal ideation in real time to inform response activities to suicide clusters;

(2)

informing prevention programming for identified at-risk populations; and

(3)

conducting or supporting research.

(g)

Applicability of privacy protections

The provisions of this section shall be subject to the requirements of section 552a of title 5, United States Code. All Federal laws relating to the privacy of information shall apply to the data and information that is collected under this section.

(h)

Reports

(1)

Submission

Not later than April 30th of each of calendar years 2020 through 2024, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress on the results of the pilot program under this section during the previous calendar year.

(2)

Contents

Each report under paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(A)

The specific data points captured under the pilot program under this section.

(B)

Challenges in implementing the pilot program, including with respect to data collection and reporting, at State and local public health departments in their first year of participation in the program.

(C)

Identification of any problems with implementation of the pilot program.

(D)

Potential solutions for such problems, including a description of the estimated costs of such potential solutions.

(E)

Description of any public health response that is initiated at the Federal, State, or local level in response to data collected through the pilot program.

(F)

Recommendations for improving public health responses to self-harm and suicidal ideation incidents.

(3)

Final report

The final report required by paragraph (1) shall include recommendations on—

(A)

whether to reauthorize and expand the pilot program under this section; and

(B)

if so, how to improve the pilot program for purposes of such reauthorization and expansion.

(i)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

The term self-harm means any behavior that is self-directed and deliberately results in injury or the potential for injury to oneself, including non-lethal forms of injuries to oneself, including cutting, asphyxiation, overdose of drugs (including through the use of opioids), and gun-related injuries, either with or without the intent to kill oneself.

(2)

The term suicidal ideation means thinking about, considering, or planning suicide.

(j)

Authorization of appropriations

To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated—

(1)

$500,000 for fiscal year 2019; and

(2)

such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2020 through 2023.

.