PRESS RELEASE

Legislation Aimed at Preventing Suicide Introduced in Congress

New Orleans, LA September 10, 2022—A preventable tragedy in New Orleans has galvanized

the mental health community and propelled a bill to the House of Representatives intended to

reduce gun suicide. The bipartisan bill allows at-risk individuals to place themselves on a

national “do not sell to me” list. In July, U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and John

Curtis (R-UT) introduced bill H.R. 8361, The Preventing Suicide Through Voluntary Firearms

Delay Act—also known as “Donna’s Law.”

“My mom, Donna Nathan, lost a 30-year battle with bipolar disorder on June 26, 2018. She

killed herself with a gun she had just bought that morning,” said Katrina Brees, who is working to

pass “Donna’s Law” to ensure no other family has to lose a loved one to preventable suicide.

“She fought for her life right up until the end. In her last six months, she admitted herself three

times for inpatient psychiatric treatment because she wanted to manage her suicidal ideation.

Each time, she willingly accepted the limitations on liberty that come with a psychiatric

hospitalization in exchange for safety and the prospect of improvement. What she could not

limit, under Louisiana law, was her ability to quickly purchase a gun.”

The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that in 2020 nearly 46,000 lives were lost to

suicide and 46 percent of those individuals had a known mental health problem. Not

surprisingly, guns are the most common means of suicide among both men and women –

because they are the most successful means. For Donna, and others with mental illnesses such

as bipolar, anxiety and depression, suspending her ability to purchase a gun could have saved

her life.

Since Donna’s death, Washington, Utah and Virginia have adopted the law named after her.

Thanks to the introduction of H.R. 8361, Donna’s Law now has the opportunity to become a

federal law.

Those who want to help suicidal individuals help themselves by preventing their access to

firearms can make a difference by emailing their Representative today and urging them to pass

H.R. 8361, “Donna’s Law”.

Endorsing organizations include American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP),

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI),

National Education Association (NEA), and Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE).