By Mr. Koutoujian of Waltham, petition (accompanied by resolve, House, No. 2165) of Deborah DiMasi, Peter J. Koutoujian and others for an investigation by a special commission (including members of the General Court) relative to public health policy initiatives and strategies to reduce incidents of suicide in the Commonwealth.  Public Health.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Peter J. Koutoujian

Barbara A. L'Italien

Robert A. Antonioni

James E. Timilty

John W. Scibak

Jennifer M. Callahan

Kay Khan

Rachel Kaprielian

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act relative to the study on methods to reduce incidents of suicide.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. There is hereby established a special commission to investigate and study the problem of suicide across the lifespan, to consider innovative and coordinated measures to prevent and reduce the incidences of suicide through the prevention and public health policy initiatives and strategies, and shall identify strategies to support and implement a state plan to reduce the incidences of suicide and self harm.

Section 2. Said special commission shall consist of 15 members, including: the commissioner of the department of public health or his designee and who shall chair the commission, the commissioner of elder affairs or his designee, the commissioner of education or his designee, the commissioner of mental health or his designee, the commissioner of public safety or his designee, the commissioner of youth services or his designee and the attorney general or his designee, two members of the Senate appointed by the Senate President, one of whom shall be the minority leader or his designee, three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the house, one of whom shall be the minority leader or his designee, a suicide prevention professional, a member of the Massachusetts Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, a suicide prevention advocate, a suicide survivor, and a representative from the leadership of the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention.

Section 3. Said commission shall be covered under the auspices of the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention and the Injury Prevention and Control Program of the Department of Public Health.

Section 4. Said commission shall report to the General Court the results of its investigation and study, together with recommendations and drafts of legislation necessary to carry our said recommendations, by filing the same with the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Senate within one year of convening.