The state Joint Appropriations Committee approved a bill intended to fund suicide prevention grants.
House Bill 1079 passed 14-4. The modified bill allocates $2 million for a grant program at the Department of Health.
The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt, R-Sioux Falls, and Sen. Sydney Davis, R-Burbank.
Davis said the Department of Health currently has a suicide prevention strategy, but its efforts are reliant on a “patchwork of highly competitive federal grants” with particular requirements.
“Many funds that are available to address suicide prevention have limited success because we’re not able to fully align with the statewide prevention strategy,” she said.
Grants could be used to fund mental health and suicide prevention initiatives for youth and young adults.
Rehfeldt told the committee the funding is essential for South Dakota, where suicide was the leading cause of death for individuals aged 10-29 years in 2021.
“We can, and we absolutely should be doing more,” she said.
Rep. Tony Venhuizen, R-Sioux Falls, moved a successful amendment to change the bill's appropriation from $4 million to $2 million.
On Thursday, the committee also tabled a bill to create scholarships for college and graduate students pursuing careers in behavioral health.