Yang Rohr Passes Measure to Add Suicide Hotline Numbers on Student ID’s, Reduce Suicide Rates Amongst Youth

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – School districts would be required to add suicide prevention hotline numbers on school-issued ID cards under legislation recently passed by state Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, D-Naperville.

“Mental health struggles require support from others, and while friends and family are integral, mental health hotlines provide trained, unbiased mental health professionals who offer empathy and defuse crisis situations,” said Yang Rohr. “Suicide is preventable, and it is crucial that every person who is dealing with mental health struggles knows that they are not alone and that there are resources available to help them.”

Yang Rohr introduced House Bill 1778, which amends the School Code and the Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act. The measure requires schools and public colleges or universities that issue identification cards to include suicide prevention hotline numbers on the ID card. Data from the Illinois Department of Public Health shows that suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among IL youth ages 10-19. Yang Rohr’s bill passed the House of Representatives unanimously and is now awaiting consideration in the Senate.

“By adding suicide prevention numbers on the identification cards that students are typically required to have on them at all times, our schools can potentially help save someone’s life,” said Yang Rohr. “Ensuring that students have easy access to these lifesaving hotlines and resources is just one step in the larger fight to combat youth suicide rates and ensure that every Illinois resident has access to quality mental health care. I am proud to have supported this important measure and to have the full support of Illinois’ House of Representative behind this legislation.”