H.B. 252
         UTAH SUICIDE PREVENTION ACT

house floor Amendments

Amendment 3 February 6, 2007 10:32 am



Representative David Litvack proposes the following amendments:

1.    Page 1, Lines 9 through 12 :    

             9          This bill creates a task force to study issues relating to suicide
{   and   }        ,       to determine the best

             10      way to prevent suicide in the state
  , and to develop a statewide suicide prevention plan       . This bill also amends the Utah Human Services

             11      Code to impose reporting requirements, and other duties relating to suicide prevention,
             12      on certain departments in state government.

2.    Page 1, Lines 17 through 20 :    

             17          .    describes the duties of the Department of Human Services relating to the purposes
             18      of this bill, including duties relating to implementing, managing, and updating a
             19      statewide suicide prevention plan
{   if the task force determines that a plan should be

             20      developed  
}
;

3.    Page 2, Lines 35 through 37 :    

             35          .    requires the task force to present a report to the Health and Human Services Interim
             36      Committee regarding
  the statewide suicide prevention plan developed by the task force,       the determinations of the task force        ,       and legislative action that

             37      could be taken to prevent suicides in the state; and

4.    Page 3, Lines 68 through 77 :    

             68          (c) the state must study the problem of suicide and
{   determine whether it would be

             69      beneficial to  
}
develop and implement a comprehensive statewide plan to prevent suicides in the
             70      state.
             71          (2) The purpose of this act is to:
             72          (a) discover contributing factors relating to suicide;
             73          (b)
{   make the determination described in Subsection (1)(c)   }        develop and implement a suicide prevention plan       ;

             74          
{   (c) take appropriate action in response to the determination made under Subsection

             75      (2)(b);  
}
and
             76          
{   (d)   }        (c)       to support community, charitable, and faith-based organizations in their efforts to

             77      reduce suicide rates and improve the quality of life for the citizens of the state.



5.    Page 3, Line 86 through Page 5, Line 126a :    

             86          Beginning on December 1, 2007, the department shall:
             87          (1) carry out the purposes of this chapter, described in Subsections 62A-16-102 (2)(a)
{   ,   }        and      

             88      (c)
{   , and (d)   } ;      {   and   }

             89          (2)
{   if the task force determines that a suicide prevention plan should be developed:

             90          (a)  
}
manage, implement, and update the suicide prevention plan;
             91          
{   (b)   }        (3)       ensure that the suicide prevention plan:

             92          
{   (i)   }        (a)       includes specific, implementable, and measurable actions that may be taken by

             93      various governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations, families, and individuals to
             94      prevent and respond to suicide;
             95          
{   (ii)   }        (b)       identifies the actions described in Subsection      {   (2)(b)(i)   }        (3)(a)       that:

             96          
{   (A)   }        (i)       have already been implemented;

             97          
{   (B)   }        (ii)       could be implemented within existing state budgets; and

             98          
{   (C)   }        (iii)       will require additional funding to be implemented or continued, specifying for each

             99      the amount and potential source of funding that will be required;
             100          
{   (iii)   }        (c)       includes the appropriate delivery of services to communities;

             101          
{   (iv)   }        (d)       establishes a coordinated system for the utilization of data for the prevention of

             102      suicide;
             103          
{   (v)   }        (e)       includes, if the department determines it to be beneficial, training for professional

             104      caregivers who work with populations that have a high risk of suicide;
             105          
{   (vi)   }        (f)       is based on scientifically verifiable and quantifiable data and studies;

             106          
{   (vii)   }        (g)       does not include mandatory testing, questioning, or interviewing of groups of

             107      children, students, teenagers, or other people in order to determine if some of them may be at
             108      risk of suicide;
             109          
{   (viii)   }        (h)       requires that consent for the testing, questioning, or interviewing described in

             110      Subsection
{   (2)(b)(vii)   }        (3)(g)       shall be informed and lawful; and

             111          
{   (ix)   }        (i)       incorporates recommendations made by the task force; and

             112          
{   (c)   }        (4)       ensure that educational resources produced in relation to the suicide prevention plan

             113      are presented in a simple, clear format that can be easily understood by people who are not
             114      knowledgeable in subjects relating to suicide or suicide prevention.
             115          Section 5. Section 62A-16-105 is enacted to read:
             116          62A-16-105. Annual reports by the Department of Health and the Department of
             117      Human Services.
             118          (1) The Department of Health shall, on or before November 30 of each year, report to
             119      the Health and Human Services Interim Committee regarding the following:
             120          (a) suicide rates in the state, broken down by groups based on age, gender, and
             121      minority status;
             122          (b) a comparison of the suicide rates described in Subsection (1)(a) with the rates in the


             123      same categories nationally, and for each state within the United States, to the extent the
             124      information is available;
{   and   }

             125          (c) the H. [relationship between suicide and the use or abuse] incidence of the
             125a      presence .H of psychotropic drugs,
             126      prescription drugs, illicit drugs, and other drugs H. in the bodies of deceased persons suspected
             126a      of committing suicide .H
{   .   }        ; and

    (d)    the incidence of the use of firearms to commit suicide.  


6.    Page 6, Lines 161 through 166
    House Committee Amendments
    1-24-2007 :
    

             161          (vii) the H. [relationship between suicide and the use or abuse] incidence of the
             161a      presence .H of psychotropic drugs,
             162      prescription drugs, illicit drugs, and other drugs H. in the bodies of deceased persons suspected
             162a      of committing suicide .H ;
{   and   }

             163          (viii) methods of coordinating information among and between pharmacies and
             164      physicians that may assist in preventing suicides and drug abuse;
  and

    (ix)    the incidence of the use of firearms to commit suicide;  

             165          (b)
{   determine whether it would be beneficial to   } develop a statewide suicide prevention

             166      plan to reduce the number of suicides in the state;

7.    Page 7, Lines 199 through 204 :    

             199          Before November 30, 2007, the task force shall present a report to the Health and
             200      Human Services interim committee regarding:
             201          (1)
{   whether it would be beneficial to:

             202          (a) develop a  
}
  the       suicide prevention plan        developed by the task force       ;      {   or   }

             203          
{   (b)   }        (2)              whether it would be beneficial to       reorganize existing structures or programs within the department; and

             204          
{   (2)   }        (3)       legislative action that could be taken to prevent suicides in the state.


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