Gus Bilirakis: “I want to thank the ranking member and the chairman for all of their good work and, of course, Congressman Peters. This…”

“I want to thank the ranking member and the chairman for all of their good work and, of course, Congressman Peters. This is a great committee, and we get things done, that is for sure. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7293, the Suicide Training and Awareness Nationally Delivered for Universal Prevention Act, or the STAND-UP Act. There is no higher priority than keeping our children safe. I think everyone agrees with that. Since 2010, suicide has been the second- leading cause of death for young Americans ages 10-24, unfortunately. From 2007 to 2015, the number of children and teens visiting emergency rooms for suicide-related injuries doubled. In 2017, 517 Americans aged 10-14, and 6,252 aged 15-24, committed suicide. Sadly, some communities in my district are among those with the highest suicide rates in Florida. Research has shown that most of these young Americans tell someone that they are contemplating suicide or school violence, and 68 percent of averted violence was stopped because of a student reporting concerns about a threat, plot, or other concerning behavior involving a peer. The STAND-UP Act encourages States, Tribes, and schools to create policies for student suicide prevention training using SAMHSA-provided best practices, training, and technical assistance.…”