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LegislationLEGISLATION | Detail


H.R. 853: Suzanne Gonzales Suicide Prevention Act of 2009

Sponsor: Herger (R - CA)

Official Title: A bill to amend Title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the use of interstate commerce for suicide promotion.

Status:
2/4/2009: Introduced
2/4/2009: Referred to House Judiciary Committee

Commentary:
This bill would prohibit the knowing use of facilities of interstate or foreign commerce “to teach a particular person how to commit suicide, knowing that the person so taught is likely to use that teaching to commit suicide,” or “to provide a particular person with material support or resources to help such person commit suicide, knowing that the person is likely to use the support to commit suicide.” Violations would be punishable by criminal fines and imprisonment of up to 5 years, or up to life if the offense results in death. [Your editors note that these prohibitions, aside from any constitutional infirmities, would probably not have prevented the suicide of the bill’s namesake, who researched suicide methods online before killing herself in 2003, because her reference sources were not directed at a “particular person.”]

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