BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  HR 39
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 23, 2012

                             ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES
                                Nancy Skinner, Chair
                   HR 39 (Hueso) - As Introduced:  August 16, 2012
           
          SUBJECT  :   Suicide Prevention Month.

           SUMMARY  :   Designates September 2012 as Suicide Prevention Month 
          in the State of California.  Specifically,  this resolution  makes 
          the following legislative findings:

          1)Suicide is the 11th leading cause of all deaths in the United 
            States and is the 10th leading cause of all deaths in 
            California; and suicide is the third leading cause of death 
            among people ages 10 to 24 years in the United States.

          2)Suicide can strike anyone, regardless of age, gender, 
            sexuality, or ethnicity; and, untreated mental illness is the 
            cause for the vast majority of suicides. The stigma associated 
            with mental illness works against suicide prevention by 
            discouraging persons at risk for suicide from seeking 
            lifesaving help.

          3)There are numerous organizations that work toward providing 
            awareness and helping individuals who may suffer from 
            self-destructive behavior, such as suicide; and, a great many 
            suicides are preventable through awareness, education, and 
            treatment provided by these organizations.

          4)Despite these statistics, suicide has not been adequately 
            addressed, and people are not well educated about symptoms of 
            suicide and the way to prevent it therefore, providing suicide 
            prevention awareness on a statewide level may help decrease 
            the number of suicide attempts and deaths in California.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   None

          REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           
          None on file.

           Opposition 








                                                                 HR 39
                                                                  Page  2

           
          None on file.
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Nicole Willis / RLS. / (916) 319-2800