PROVIDENCE – Two state legislators have proposed a bill that would spotlight mental health resources through a new medium: student ID cards.
The legislation, introduced by Sen. Victoria Gu, D-South Kingstown, and Rep. Earl A. Read III, D-Warwick, would require high schools and middle schools to include phone numbers for suicide prevention and substance use crisis hotlines on students’ identification cards.
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Gu said that the anonymous, 24/7 hotlines are increasingly important to spotlight as young people experience more mental health challenges: According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the suicide rate for children and young adults aged 10-24 rose by 62% between 2007 and 2021.
“Children know to call 911 in an emergency, but far fewer of them know to call 988, the national suicide and crisis number, or similar hotlines when they are struggling with mental health or substances,” Read said in a statement.
“These resources are so important in helping those in crisis – especially young people – get help and navigate their struggles before they become an emergency,” he continued.“Putting these resources directly on IDs makes them easily accessible to everyone and prevents them from having to track down these resources when they are already struggling.”
Under the proposal, schools can include numbers for two hotlines that specifically cover the two services, or one hotline that covers both services. The phone numbers can be printed directly onto the cards or added on a sticker.
Similar legislation already exists in a number of states, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. Nearby, Massachusetts is currently considering comparable legislation.
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.
