U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Jim Banks Introduce New Bipartisan Youth Suicide Prevention Legislation

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Jim Banks (R-IN) introduced the Raising Awareness for Youth Suicide Prevention (RAYS) Act, requiring middle and high schools to include mental health and suicide prevention information on student identification cards and school websites. The hotline and text line has been used nearly 20 million times since it was created in 2022.

"We can't afford to leave holes in the safety net we've built to catch people when they're going through hard times or struggling with their mental health. That's why we created the 988 hotline in the first place. Now, we need to make sure everyone, especially young people, know that resources are available to them when they need it," said Senator Smith. "This is a common-sense idea to help those facing mental health challenges. It tells them that they are not alone and help is out there."

"It is unacceptable that suicide is the leading cause of death for Americans under 21. This legislation will expand access to vital resources and help save lives," said Senator Banks.

The RAYS Act would require secondary education institutions to provide contact information for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the Crisis Text Line, and a state or local suicide prevention hotline selected by the school, if available, on the back of all student ID cards. If a school cannot meet this requirement because it does not distribute physical student ID cards, cost is a barrier, or some other administrative burden, they will be required to publish the information on a publicly accessible website of the school.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States among young people (ages 12-18). Every day, there are an average of 3,703 suicide attempts made by middle and high school students in the United States. Increasing awareness of the 988 hotline and similar local resources will improve access to these low-barrier mental health supports for students.

The RAYS Act is cosponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Full text of the legislation is available here.

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