Pennsylvania HR 313: A Resolution recognizing the week of September 7 through 13, 2025, as "National Suicide Prevention Week" in Pennsylvania.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 2301
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 313
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY O'MARA, OTTEN, McNEILL, SANCHEZ, HANBIDGE, PROBST,
GUZMAN, RABB, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, MADDEN, SHUSTERMAN, SAMUELSON,
WARREN, HOHENSTEIN, HILL-EVANS AND CIRESI, SEPTEMBER 10, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES, SEPTEMBER 11, 2025
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the week of September 7 through 13, 2025, as
"National Suicide Prevention Week" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Suicide is defined as someone taking his or her own
life with conscious intent by lethal means, including a firearm,
poisoning, suffocation or other self-injury; and
WHEREAS, More than 49,000 Americans, including 1,976
Pennsylvanians, died by suicide in 2023; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's suicide rate was 15.2 per 100,000
people as of 2023; and
WHEREAS, Suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death in
Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, In 2023, more than twice the number of
Pennsylvanians died by suicide than by homicide; and
WHEREAS, Due to the stigma, it is suspected that suicide is
generally underreported; and
WHEREAS, Prevention, education, advocacy, public policy and
community support are keys to addressing suicide stigma; and
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WHEREAS, The sensitive use of suicide-related language is
also essential to eliminating suicide stigma; and
WHEREAS, The term "committed suicide" implies a level of
criminality while "completed suicide" implies earlier attempts
when there may have been none; and
WHEREAS, Both terms perpetuate the stigma associated with
suicide and are strongly discouraged; and
WHEREAS, Using the word "successful" or "failed" to describe
suicide is also discouraged; and
WHEREAS, "Died by suicide" or "died of suicide" as well as
"suicide death" and "fatal suicide behavior" are recommended
language; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
week of September 7 through 13, 2025, as "National Suicide
Prevention Week" in Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage the
residents of this Commonwealth to utilize the sensitive language
that does not perpetuate the stigma of suicide or imply
criminality when reporting a death by suicide.
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