H.R. 3505 — Barriers to Suicide Act of 2025

This section establishes a competitive grant program, to be implemented by the Secretary of Transportation not later than one year after enactment, to facilitate installation of evidence-based suicide deterrents—such as prevention nets and barriers—on covered locations, including bridges, buildings, parking garages, highway-rail grade crossings, and rail stations. Eligible recipients include states (i.e., the 50 states, District of Columbia, territories, possessions, and federally recognized Indian tribes), their political subdivisions, and other entities determined by the Secretary; grants prioritize high-suicide-rate areas and limit the federal share to 80%; and the program authorizes $10 million for each of FY2026 through FY2030.

This section expands eligible activities under the National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)—which provides formula funding to states for highway improvements on the National Highway System (NHS)—to include installation of safety barriers and nets on NHS bridges.

This section directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study identifying (1) types of structures other than bridges that attract a high number of suicide-by-jumping attempts; (2) characteristics distinguishing those structures from similar ones that do not; (3) effective nets or barriers, including manufactured and natural types; (4) other methods to reduce suicide-by-jumping; (5) quantitative measures of nets and barriers' effectiveness; (6) quantitative measures of other methods' effectiveness; (7) entities that typically install such nets and barriers; and (8) costs of such nets and barriers. The Comptroller General must submit a report on the study results to the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Energy and Commerce, and the Senate Committees on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and Commerce, Science, and Transportation, not later than one year after enactment.