U.S. Senator Introduces Bill to Prevent Suicide Among Construction Workers and Study Industry's Mental Health Crisis
U.S. senators have introduced new legislation to address the high suicide rate in the construction industry through nationwide research. The bill would authorize the CDC to collect data, analyze risk factors at employment, organizational, and individual levels, and submit policy recommendations within three years. The industry has already launched multiple mental health initiatives on its own.
Editor's note: This report focuses on mental health and suicide issues. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
At a Glance
- Nevada Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto has introduced legislation aimed at preventing suicides among construction workers and gaining a deeper understanding of the mental health crisis facing the industry. Cortez Masto's office shared this news with Construction Dive.
- The Building a Path to Suicide Prevention Act would authorize Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to conduct a national study through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The plan would collect data on suicide risk factors faced by construction workers, which would then inform prevention strategies.
- By industry measure, the construction industry's suicide mortality rate frequently ranks among the highest. According to the latest data from North America's Building Trades Unions and CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, the construction industry's suicide mortality rate in 2024 was 43.2 cases per 100,000 workers.
Deep Dive
If the bill passes, the CDC would study suicide among construction workers, examining employment, organizational, and individual factors such as demographic information, specific construction trades, union membership, health insurance coverage, as well as histories of substance abuse, mental health diagnoses, or physical injuries.
According to the bill text, within three years after the bill takes effect, the Health Secretary would need to submit a report offering policy recommendations to address mental health risk factors among construction workers.
"From our homes to our offices, from roads to our favorite coffee shops, construction workers built America," Cortez Masto said in a statement. "But the work in this industry carries unique mental health risks, and we have a responsibility to find solutions for construction workers. This legislation would give us the tools to address the tragically high suicide rate among construction workers and work to eliminate the stigma of mental health issues on job sites."
The bill is co-sponsored by several senators, including Virginia Democrat Mark Warner, New Hampshire Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, New Mexico Democrat Ben Ray Luján, Arizona Democrat Mark Kelly, and Colorado Democrat John Hickenlooper.
The industry itself has also launched multiple initiatives to address the growing challenge of workers' mental health and its associated stigma.
In New York City, the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York launched the "Construction Industry Peer Support Network" in March, training 1,000 rank-and-file members from 15 affiliated unions to provide peer support. The program, with the slogan "Speaking up is not a sign of weakness," seeks to eliminate stigma.
Previously, in March 2024, Bechtel, a contractor headquartered in Reston, Virginia, pledged a $7 million donation to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - the largest such donation the nonprofit had received at that time.
The resulting partnership, named "Hard Hat Heroes," announced during Construction Suicide Prevention Week 2025 that it had reached 165,000 workers. Its goal is to reach 500,000 workers within six years.
This year's Construction Suicide Prevention Week is scheduled for September 14-18.