Cortez Masto Introduces Legislation to Support Construction Worker Mental Health

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto introduced legislation to prevent suicide among construction workers. The Constructing the Path to Suicide Prevention Act would authorize a national study through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to collect data on the unique suicide risk factors facing construction workers that can be used to inform future suicide prevention programming. This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.).

The construction industry has the second-highest risk of suicide across all industries. In 2023, almost a fifth of deaths by suicide with a reported industry code were tied to construction, despite construction workers making up only seven percent of the American workforce.

"From our homes to our offices, our roads to our favorite coffee shops, construction workers are responsible for building America," said Senator Cortez Masto. "But work in this industry presents distinct mental health risks, and we owe it to construction workers to find solutions. This legislation will give us the tools we need to combat the tragically high rate of suicide among construction workers and work to end the stigma around mental health on the jobsite."

"There is an unacceptably high rate of suicide among construction workers," said Senator Warner. "This legislation will give us the resources to understand how we can combat it and better inform suicide prevention programs."

"The high rate of suicide among construction workers should be alarming to us all," said Senator Shaheen. "I'm proud to help introduce legislation alongside a group of my colleagues who understand the importance of figuring out what's fueling this crisis and the urgent need to make sure we're getting mental health resources where they're needed."

"In New Mexico and across the country, our construction workers are the backbone of our country," said Senator Luján. "The high rate of suicide in the construction industry is deeply concerning, and we must do more to address this crisis. This legislation will do just that and help us better strengthen suicide prevention programs."

"Construction workers build America-our homes, our roads, and our communities. With an alarming suicide rate in this industry, they should have the resources to take care of their mental health," said Senator Kelly. "This bill will help us understand what's driving those numbers to prevent more deaths."

"The people who build Colorado from the ground up are also among those most at risk of suicide," said Senator Hickenlooper. "We need to understand why and make sure construction workers have access to the support they need."

The CDC study authorized by the Constructing the Path to Suicide Prevention Act would investigate risk factors for deaths by suicide among construction workers, including employment and financial stability, history of substance and alcohol use, and access to essential resources like health care coverage, employment benefits, and employee assistance programs. The bill would also require the Department of Health and Human Services to submit a report to Congress on policy recommendations for future suicide prevention programming targeted to construction workers.

The Constructing the Path to Suicide Prevention Act is endorsed by the Southern Nevada Building Trades Unions (SNBTU), the Building and Construction Trades Council of Northern Nevada (BCTNN), the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU), the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA), and the Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust (LMCT).

The full text of this legislation can be found here.

Senator Cortez Masto has been a consistent champion of mental health during her time in the Senate. She has introduced legislation to address mental health in AANHPI communities, improve access to behavioral health, and bolster peer support for mental health. The Senator helped secure funding for Nevada State University's first mental health clinic. She also led her colleagues in a letter demanding answers from the Department of Education on mental health funding cuts.

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