Federal pilot funds suicide screening in primary care offices nationwide

What it does

This bill creates a federal grant program to help primary care doctors detect and prevent suicide and self-harm. The Department of Health and Human Services will award up to 10 grants (one per state, max $500,000 each, 2-year terms) to primary care offices to hire clinical social workers who screen patients for suicide risk, provide short-term counseling, and refer high-risk patients to specialized facilities. Grantees must report quarterly on screening numbers and outcomes.

Why we flagged it

The bill's sole operative mechanism is establishing a federal grant program to integrate suicide screening and prevention services into primary care. It is a straightforward public health measure with no hidden provisions, tax carve-outs, or private-sector giveaways.

What the text implies

• The 10-grant cap and one-per-state limit mean 40 states will receive no direct funding; effectiveness depends on whether pilot sites generate replicable models that spread without federal subsidy.
• Success hinges on whether primary care physicians actually implement screening protocols; the bill mandates standards development but does not address physician time constraints or reimbursement for screening labor.
• Referral pathways to long-term care are assumed to exist; in rural or underserved areas, the bill may identify at-risk patients but leave them without accessible downstream services.
• Quarterly reporting requirements may create administrative burden on small primary care practices, potentially deterring applications from resource-constrained offices.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill expands access to suicide prevention screening and early intervention in primary care settings, where most Americans receive routine medical care. Early detection and short-term counseling, combined with referral pathways to specialized care, can reduce suicide risk and save lives. The program is modest in scope (10 grants nationally) but targets a high-need population and addresses a significant public health crisis.

Who stands to gain

• Primary care offices (grant recipients)
• Clinical social workers (hired under grants)
• Health care facilities receiving referrals (potential downstream revenue)

Named in the bill

Department of Health and Human Services, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Mental Health, House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Where it stands

• Mar 11, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Mar 11, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

1 lobbying clients named this bill on 1 disclosure filings across 1 quarter, Jun 2026 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $20,000 in lobbying spend. A filing names 110 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 0% of bills with at least one filing.

Mark DeSaulnier, the sponsor, reported $283,607 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• National Alliance on Mental Illness — $20,000 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.