ENROLLED
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 84
BY REPRESENTATIVES JORDAN, AMEDEE, CARPENTER, WILFORD CARTER,
COX, FISHER, GAINES, GREEN, HUGHES, JEFFERSON, JENKINS, KNOX,
LANDRY, LARVADAIN, LYONS, MARCELLE, NEWELL, PHELPS, PIERRE,
SCHLEGEL, WILLARD, AND WRIGHT
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To create a task force to study suicide rates among African Americans in Louisiana and
report its findings to the legislature no later than February 1, 2024.
WHEREAS, according to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center of the United
States Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration, African American adults were at the highest risk for past-year
suicide attempts in 2019; and
WHEREAS, the Suicide Prevention Resource Center of the United States has
reported a suicide rate peak during the adolescence and young adult life of African American
populations from the year 2010 to 2019; and
WHEREAS, among those suicide deaths in the African American population, the
suicide death rate for men has reached more than four times the rate of women; and
WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana has reported six and four-tenths African American
deaths from suicide to every ten thousand person population in comparison to the seven and
three-tenths rate reported for the United States; and
WHEREAS, WAFB, a Baton Rouge news station, reported in a 2021 broadcast that
African American boys between the ages of five and twelve were more likely to die by
suicide than any other age group; and
WHEREAS, WAFB also reported that suicides among African American children
under eighteen years of age have increased by seventy-one percent over the past decade; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana's Suicide Prevention Plan states that although suicide death
rates are significantly lower for African Americans in Louisiana in comparison to other
states, this group has a high rate of suicide attempts and serious thoughts of suicide; and
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WHEREAS, African Americans in Louisiana are considered a high-risk population
for many negative health outcomes due to high risk factors such as homelessness, exposure
to violence, psychological distress, family dysfunction, and exposure to racial inequality.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
create and provide for the Task Force on African American Suicide Rates to study death by
suicide statistics for African Americans in this state and to propose any recommendations
regarding suicide prevention.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall consist of the following
members:
(1) The chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, who shall serve as the
chairman of the task force, or his designee.
(2) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary B or his designee.
(3) The chairman of the House Committee on Health and Welfare or his designee.
(4) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare or his designee.
(5) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health or his designee.
(6) The president of the Louisiana Psychiatric Medical Association or his designee.
(7) The president of the Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists or his
designee.
(8) The chairman of the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners or his
designee.
(9) The president of the New Orleans Association of Black Social Workers or his
designee.
(10) The president of the Louisiana Chapter of the National Association of Social
Workers or his designee.
(11) The executive director of Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center or his
designee.
(12) The president of the Louisiana Chapter of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People or his designee.
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(13) The president of the YWCA Greater Baton Rouge area or his designee.
(14) The president of 100 Black Men of Baton Rouge or his designee.
(15) The president of the Urban League of Louisiana or his designee.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each designating authority shall submit the name
of its designee to the task force to the Louisiana Department of Health no later than July 15,
2023.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Department of Health shall
provide staff support as needed by the task force.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no later than August 1, 2023, the chairman of
the task force shall convene the first meeting of the task force. At the first meeting, the
members may elect a vice chairman and other officers as the task force deems appropriate.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a majority of the task force shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business. All official actions of the task force shall require the
affirmative vote of a majority of the members.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the task force shall serve
without compensation, except per diem or expense reimbursement to which they may be
individually entitled as members of their constituent organizations.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force on African American Suicide
Rates shall submit its findings in the form of a written report to the legislature and the David
R. Poynter Legislative Research Library no later than February 1, 2024.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall terminate on the date of the
submission of its findings from the study called for in this Resolution in the form of a report
to the legislature or February 1, 2024, whichever occurs first.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, the president of the Louisiana Psychiatric
Medical Association, the president of the Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychologists, the
chairman of the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners, the president of the New
Orleans Association of Black Social Workers, the president of the Louisiana Chapter of the
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National Association of Social Workers, the executive director of Baton Rouge Crisis
Intervention Center, the president of the Louisiana Chapter of the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People, the president of the YWCA Greater Baton Rouge area,
the president of 100 Black Men of Baton Rouge, and the president of the Urban League of
Louisiana.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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