The Stop Senior Suicide Act
The Website for the National Center on Elder Abuse has this information about this important piece of legislation:
The Stop Senior Suicide Act (S.1854/ H.R.4897), introduced in the Senate by Harry Reid (D-NV) in July 2007, was introduced in the House of Representatives by Darlene Hooley (D, OR-5) in December. The bill seeks to “amend the Social Security Act and the Public Health Service Act to improve elderly suicide early intervention and prevention strategies.” The bill has been co-sponsored by Representatives Tim Murphy (R, PA-18), Rosa L. DeLauro (D, CT-3), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D, OH-11), Patrick J. Kennedy (D, RI-1), Ron Klein (D, FL-22), Carolyn McCarthy (D, NY-4), Doris O. Matsui (D, CA-5), Jim Ramstad (R, MN-3), and Albert Russell Wynn (D, MD-4), which brings the total number of co-sponsors to 9 in the House and 3 in the Senate. The bill has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee.
The Stop Senior Suicide Act (H.R. 4897) outlines specific objectives:
- the formation of a federal Interagency Geriatric Mental Health Planning Council;
- establishing suicide early intervention and prevention programs;
- ensuring that the Suicide Prevention Resource Center provides guidance, training and technical assistance to grantees working on elderly suicide prevention;
- Decreasing the Medicare coinsurance percentage for outpatient mental health services so that it is more affordable for low income patients.
SPAN USA encourages you to e-mail your U.S. Representative and ask that he/she cosponsor H.R. 4897.
