HR-3505-119
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Sponsored by Donald Beyer (D-VA)
What it does
This bill would direct the Secretary of Transportation to create a competitive grant program funding the installation of evidence-based suicide deterrents — such as nets and barriers — on bridges, buildings, parking garages, highway-rail grade crossings, and rail stations. The federal government would cover up to 80% of project costs, with priority given to areas with high suicide rates. The bill would also authorize $10 million per year from 2026 through 2030 ($50 million total), amend federal highway law to explicitly allow National Highway System bridge safety funds to be used for barrier installation, and direct the Government Accountability Office to study the effectiveness of such deterrents on non-bridge structures.
Who benefits
Individuals at risk of suicide by jumping, particularly in high-incidence areas near covered infrastructure. Family members and communities affected by suicide loss. State and local governments and transit agencies that want to install deterrents but lack full funding. Construction and engineering firms specializing in safety barrier installation. Mental health advocates and public health researchers who study means restriction as a prevention strategy. Federally recognized Indian Tribes, which are explicitly included as eligible grant recipients.
Who is hurt
State and local governments that must provide at least 20% matching funds, which may be difficult for lower-revenue jurisdictions. Taxpayers who bear the $50 million authorization cost. Property owners or businesses near covered structures who may face construction disruption during installation. Aesthetics-focused community groups or historic preservation organizations concerned about the visual impact of nets and barriers on landmark bridges or buildings. Entities that applied for competing transportation infrastructure grants, as this program draws from the same funding pool.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that means restriction — physically preventing access to lethal methods — is one of the most evidence-based suicide prevention strategies available, with studies showing that barrier installation on high-risk bridges reduces suicide rates at those sites by up to 90% without a corresponding increase at nearby locations. They contend that the 20-year delay in installing a net on the Golden Gate Bridge, during which an estimated 1,500 people died, illustrates the cost of inaction, and that a federal grant program removes the primary obstacle — upfront capital costs — that has stalled local projects nationwide.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that $50 million in federal transportation funds addresses only a narrow slice of the suicide prevention landscape and may displace funding from broader mental health infrastructure with wider reach. They contend that suicide-by-jumping accounts for roughly 1% of all U.S. suicide deaths annually, and that concentrating resources on physical barriers at specific structures — rather than crisis intervention, mental health services, or means restriction for more common methods — represents a poor allocation of limited public health dollars relative to the scale of the problem.
Constitutional context
Congress has broad authority to fund transportation infrastructure and attach conditions to federal grants under the Commerce Clause (Art. I, §8, cl. 3) and the Spending Clause (Art. I, §8, cl. 1). No active constitutional tension is present; this bill operates well within established federal grant-making authority and does not raise major questions doctrine concerns given its modest scope and explicit congressional authorization.
Checks and balances
The Executive Branch (Secretary of Transportation) gains discretionary authority to design the grant program, set eligibility criteria, and determine additional covered structures; Congress retains oversight through the annual appropriations process and the required GAO study and report to four named congressional committees.
Historical precedent
The federal Highway Safety Improvement Program has previously funded roadway safety infrastructure, and the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included provisions for bridge safety improvements, but no prior federal grant program has specifically targeted suicide deterrent installation on transportation infrastructure.