WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today reintroduced the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act, which would require colleges and universities to provide the contact information for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Crisis Text Line and a campus mental health center on student identification (ID) cards. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is the lead Senate cosponsor of the bill. 

“Young Americans are dealing with historic mental health challenges and often aren’t sure where they can turn for help. My Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act would add important hotline numbers to their student ID cards, making sure our young people always have the resources they need at their fingertips,” said Kennedy.

“As someone who worked at a peer counseling center in college, I saw firsthand how many students suffer from feelings of hopelessness and depression. This bill will make mental health resources more accessible by placing critical support lines directly into students’ hands. We must ensure that young people have the resources they need to know they’re not alone and where to get help if they need it,” said Booker.

The bill passed the Senate unanimously in the 117th and 116th Congresses.

Reps. Lou Correa (D-Calif.) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.) introduced the bill in the House of Representatives.

“Too many of our young people are taking their own lives, and we’ve got to push forward to address this worsening mental health crisis. Adding crucial suicide prevention information to Student IDs and college websites will ensure that at-risk students have options. I’m grateful to my colleagues for stepping up, joining together, and working across the aisle to address this growing youth suicide epidemic—to give every young person a shot at the future they deserve,” said Correa.

“Our college students are facing unprecedented mental health challenges, and we need to ensure they have immediate access to life-saving resources. By requiring universities to include crisis hotline information on student ID cards, we're taking a straightforward but critical step to protect our young people and show them they're never alone during difficult times,” said Bacon.

The Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act would:

• Require colleges and universities to provide the contact information for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 988, Crisis Text Line (Text HOME to 741741), and a campus mental health center, if applicable, on student ID cards.

• Require colleges and universities to list the information on their websites if the school does not offer physical ID cards to students.

Background: 

• The National Institute of Mental Health deems suicide a major public health concern.

• Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide among people aged 15 to 29 years.

• In the U.S., suicide is the second leading cause of death in the 10- to 24-year-old age group. 

• Suicide rates for this age group increased 52.2% between 2000 and 2021. 

• In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that four in 10 students had persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness and two in 10 seriously considered attempting suicide.

Active Minds, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Crisis Text Line, Mental Health America and the National Alliance on Mental Illness support the bill.

“Active Minds is thrilled to see the reintroduction of the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act by Senators Kennedy and Booker and Representatives Correa and Bacon. This bipartisan legislation represents the power of student voices driving real policy change. For over a decade, Active Minds chapters across the country have been advocating for exactly this solution—putting life-saving mental health resources directly into students' hands through their ID cards. This bill embodies Active Minds' core belief that young people are not just the beneficiaries of mental health policy, but the architects of solutions that work. What started as grassroots advocacy from our student leaders has passed the Senate twice by unanimous consent—it is up to Congress now to pass it into law,” said Alison Malmon, Founder and Executive Director at Active Minds.

“As suicide continues to be a leading cause of death among young people, far too many college students are struggling with their mental health in silence. The Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act is a simple yet powerful step toward connecting students with lifesaving resources like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. By ensuring this critical information is visible on student ID cards and school websites, we can reduce stigma, promote help-seeking, and make it easier for students to access support when they need it most. AFSP is proud to support this bipartisan legislation and urges Congress to act swiftly to pass it,” said Laurel Stine, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

“Young people today are navigating a mental health crisis that can deeply affect their well-being, education, and sense of safety. We’re proud to support the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act because every student deserves to know that help is always within reach. Adding the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, and campus mental health resources on the back of new student ID cards is a simple, compassionate step that can make a life-changing difference in a moment of need,” said Courtney Hunter, Vice President of Public Policy at Crisis Text Line.

“Mental Health America (MHA) applauds Representatives Correa and Bacon for their leadership in introducing the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act, which is an important step forward in addressing the growing mental health needs of college students. Roughly one in five people taking an online mental health screen on MHA’s website are college-aged, and they have expressed a need for resources and tools to manage their mental health. This bill ensures that students have quick access to potentially life-saving information for crisis and suicide help,” said Mary Giliberti, Chief Public Policy Officer at Mental Health America.

Full text of the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act is available here.