PRINTER'S NO. 1947
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
122
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY O'MARA, SANCHEZ, RABB, HOHENSTEIN, GALLOWAY,
SCHWEYER, DALEY, D. WILLIAMS, KENYATTA, SCHLOSSBERG, CIRESI,
MALAGARI, McCLINTON, KINSEY, THOMAS, FRANKEL, MADDEN AND
SHUSTERMAN, JULY 8, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES, JULY 8, 2021
A RESOLUTION
Urging Commonwealth agencies and the unified judicial system to
adopt and utilize sensitive language related to suicide.
WHEREAS, Suicide is defined as someone taking his or her own
life with conscious intent by lethal means such as a firearm,
poisoning, suffocation or other self-injury; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 48,000 Americans, including 2,000
Pennsylvanians, die by suicide each year; and
WHEREAS, Suicide is the second leading cause of death for
individuals from 10 to 34 years of age in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for
individuals from 35 to 54 years of age in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death for
individuals from 55 to 64 years of age in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in
Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's suicide rate of 14.9 per 100,000
people is higher than the national average of 14.2 per 100,000
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people; and
WHEREAS, The suicide rate in Pennsylvania increased by 37%
between 1999 and 2018; and
WHEREAS, Nearly two and a half times as many individuals die
by suicide in Pennsylvania annually than by homicide; and
WHEREAS, The total deaths to suicide in Pennsylvania in 2018
reflect a total of 37,933 years of potential life lost before 65
years of age; and
WHEREAS, Due to the stigma, it is suspected that suicide
generally is underreported; and
WHEREAS, Prevention, education, advocacy, public policy and
community support are keys to addressing suicide stigma; and
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 urge Commonwealth
agencies and the unified judicial system to adopt and utilize
sensitive language related to suicide in regulations, policies,
reports and other documents in print or electronic format; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That, for purposes of this resolution, sensitive
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language related to suicide means language that does not
perpetuate the stigma of suicide or imply criminality when
reporting a death by suicide; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
the Governor, the Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme
Court, each Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the
court's officers and administrators.
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