On National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, U.S Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) are announcing bipartisan legislation to address rising youth suicide rates across the country.
“In 2019 one out of every five high school students in Iowa considered suicide. As a mom, this is a truly heartbreaking statistic, and we need to do more to raise awareness and prevent these tragic deaths. That’s why I’m working with Democrats and Republicans to ensure that state and local educational agencies that receive federal grants for mental health support implement evidence-based suicide prevention and awareness programs,” said Senator Joni Ernst.
“Youth suicide has long been a heartbreaking challenge that our country has faced, and amid significant mental health challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more crucial than ever that we work together to address this issue,” said Senator Hassan. “This bill would provide vital support to young people by helping implement evidence-based policies to reduce the risk of suicide. I am glad to be working on a bipartisan basis with Senator Ernst on this issue, and I urge the Senate to pass this much-needed bill.”
