On the recordDecember 17, 2010
I am pleased to join Senators Dodd, Durbin, and Tom Udall in the introduction of the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Reauthorization Act. This bill, which is dedicated to the son of our former colleague Senator Gordon Smith, would bolster the ability of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration to help prevent suicide among our nation's youth. My efforts during the original enactment of this law, and now this reauthorization, have been focused on enhancing suicide prevention programs on college campuses. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college-age students in the United States, with some 1,100 deaths by suicide occurring in this age group each year. Indeed, we can and must do more to curb this trend. The reauthorization bill we are introducing today would expand existing federally-funded efforts on campuses beyond outreach, education, and awareness about suicide and suicide prevention to include funding for services and the hiring of appropriately trained personnel. These provisions stem from a bill that I introduced in the 108th Congress, the Campus Care and Counseling Act, and I am pleased that they are included in the reauthorization efforts of this law. I thank Senator Dodd for his leadership and hard work on this bill, and I look forward to continuing efforts with my colleagues to move this bill in the 112th Congress.
