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PRINTER'S NO. 3755
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 584
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY SCOTT, GIRAL, FREEMAN, WAXMAN, RIVERA, MALAGARI,
McNEILL, SHUSTERMAN, DOUGHERTY, CARROLL, VENKAT, STEELE,
SCHLOSSBERG, SANCHEZ, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, MAYES, CIRESI, NEILSON,
KENYATTA, MADDEN, PASHINSKI, O'MARA, INGLIS, KHAN, ABNEY,
OTTEN, PIELLI, PROBST, SAPPEY, MERSKI, GILLEN, DEASY, GUENST,
POWELL, BRENNAN, HANBIDGE, ISAACSON, MAZZOCCO, GOUGHNOUR,
HOHENSTEIN, HADDOCK, PARKER, VITALI AND CURRY, JULY 6, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES, JULY 6, 2026
A RESOLUTION
Directing the Joint State Government Commission to study suicide
prevention and data collection efforts in this Commonwealth
and make recommendations for improving existing prevention
and data collection efforts.
WHEREAS, Suicide is a public health crisis, with the United
States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that
suicide is a leading cause of death and affects people of all
ages; and
WHEREAS, Globally, more than 720,000 people die due to
suicide each year; and
WHEREAS, In 2023, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death
overall in the United States, claiming the lives of more than
49,300 people; and
WHEREAS, Suicide was the second leading cause of death among
individuals between 10 and 34 years of age and the fourth
leading cause of death among individuals between 35 and 44 years
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of age; and
WHEREAS, There were more than two times as many suicides,
49,316, in the United States as there were homicides, 22,830, in
2023; and
WHEREAS, The unique and unprecedented danger that firearms
present to individuals who are at risk of self-harm led to
approximately 27,300 lives being lost in 2023 due to firearm
suicide; and
WHEREAS, Firearm suicides have accounted for the majority of
all firearm deaths each year since 1995; and
WHEREAS, Firearm suicides have increased in the last three
years, even while firearm homicides have declined; and
WHEREAS, Rising death rates from firearm suicides have
contributed to the decline in the overall life expectancy in the
United States; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Violent Death Reporting System is a
State-level surveillance system that collects data on all
suicides, homicides, accidental firearm deaths and undetermined
deaths occurring in this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Violent Death Reporting System
gathers detailed, accurate and timely data that can be used to
inform violence and suicide prevention efforts throughout this
Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, In 2019, former Governor Tom Wolf announced the
formation of a statewide Suicide Prevention Task Force to
develop a four-year strategy to reduce suicide in Pennsylvania
and fight the stigma associated with suicide, suicide attempts
and mental health issues; and
WHEREAS, In 2020, the Suicide Prevention Task Force published
a report listing eight suicide prevention goals as follows:
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(1) Increase suicide prevention awareness efforts that
reduce stigma and promote safety, help-seeking and wellness.
(2) Promote trauma-informed approaches to support all
Pennsylvania residents as part of upstream, universal suicide
prevention efforts.
(3) Provide quality training on the prevention of
suicide and management of suicide risk across multiple
sectors and settings.
(4) Promote screening across sectors, including health
care, behavioral health, educational and correctional
settings, to identify individuals at risk for suicide.
(5) Promote and implement effective clinical and
professional practices for assessing and treating those
identified as at risk for suicidal behaviors.
(6) Provide trauma-informed care and support to
individuals affected by suicide deaths and attempts to
promote healing and implement community strategies to help
prevent further suicides.
(7) Promote means safety among individuals with
identified suicide risk.
(8) Improve the capacity to utilize data reporting
systems relevant to suicide and improve the ability to
collect, analyze and use the information in a timely manner
to inform suicide prevention efforts;
and
WHEREAS, Suicide remains a public health crisis that demands
action; and
WHEREAS, The General Assembly is dedicated to fighting to
prevent families from having to suffer the loss of loved ones to
suicide; therefore be it
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint
State Government Commission to study suicide prevention and data
collection in the Commonwealth and make recommendations for
improving existing suicide prevention and data collection
efforts; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the report include a detailed analysis as to
the extent that the Commonwealth has followed through on the
eight suicide prevention goals that were specified in the
Suicide Prevention Task Force as a part of its Statewide Suicide
Prevention Plan for 2020-2024; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the report include a detailed analysis of the
Pennsylvania Violent Death Reporting System (PAVDRS), that
includes the following:
(1) Barriers preventing comprehensive, Statewide suicide
data collection, including, but not limited to:
(i) A lack of State mandates requiring coroners,
medical examiners and law enforcement to participate with
PAVDRS.
(ii) Data confidentiality and liability concern.
(iii) Insufficient staff, time and funding necessary
for coroners, medical examiners and law enforcement
agencies to gather and send reports to the Department of
Health.
(iv) Insufficient staff and funding for PAVDRS to
support data providers.
(2) Recommendations on how to ensure that all medical
examiners, coroners and law enforcement agencies in this
Commonwealth report violent death data to the Department of
Health for inclusion in PAVDRS.
(3) Recommendations on legislative action that could be
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taken to support PAVDRS and advance its goal of providing
detailed, accurate and timely data that can be used to inform
violence and suicide prevention efforts throughout this
Commonwealth;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the report include recommendations on
legislative action that could be taken to align the
Commonwealth's suicide prevention efforts with the 2024 United
States National Strategy for Suicide Prevention; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the report include an analysis of policies,
legislation, regulations and programs that have been adopted or
administered by other states, how successful they have been in
reducing rates of suicide and how successful efforts could be
mirrored in this Commonwealth; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the report include policy recommendations,
proposed legislation and proposed regulations to further the
goal of preventing suicide; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the report include any other matters deemed
appropriate by the Joint State Government Commission; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission, in
compiling the report, seek input from and collaborate with the
Department of Health, coroners, medical examiners, law
enforcement and suicide prevention experts; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission present
its report to the House of Representatives no later than January
1, 2028.
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