Public Health & Data

Expand the collection of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identify (SOGI) information in death records and government surveys on youth to create more accurate data on the number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+) youth who die by suicide and who attempt suicide.[1]

Congress should pass legislation that includes increased safeguards for minors including: age verification, transparency measures, content controls, reporting mechanisms, and personal data sharing protections, as outlined in the Children and Teen’s Online Privacy and Protection Act, the Kids Online Safety Act, and Protecting Kids on Social Media Act. Additionally, the Department of Commerce should create a program for researchers to access data from platforms for research on harms, the National Institute of Standards and Technology should conduct a study on methods to verify age of platform users, and the Federal Trade Commission should establish a Youth Privacy and Marketing Division to research and provide guidance on privacy and marketing directed toward children and teens.

Congress should reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and expand funding for youth employment programs that serve low-income and disadvantaged youth. Funding should be allocated to provide dedicated mental health resources to programs to help identify and meet youth’s mental health needs.

Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) should tie transportation funding to whether states and municipalities confirm commitments to building additional housing in high-cost, high-demand areas, with clawbacks if jurisdictions fail to meet their commitments. Congress should pass legislation such as the Build More Housing Near Transit Act that revises how the DOT evaluates capital projects to increase the production of affordable housing. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) should similarly tie competitive grant programs under its jurisdiction to state and local communities that commit to building high-density, single-family and multifamily housing in high-cost areas that have housing shortages.

Congress should pass the Reconnecting Communities Act, which would address infrastructure barriers that impede mobility and connectivity, focusing on communities of color and low-income communities. It would also create a program under the Department of Transportation (DOT) to award grants for community engagement, education, and capacity building; planning and feasibility studies; and capital construction.[1]

To prevent suicides and accidental shootings of youth, Congress should pass legislation such as the Safe Guns, Safe Kids Act to establish federal statutory requirements to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises.