OLYMPIA— On March 18, Governor Inslee signed legislation to address the increasing rates of youth suicide in Washington. House Bill 2589, sponsored by Rep. Lisa Callan, D-Issaquah, requires contact information for the national crisis line to be included on student and staff identification cards in public schools, colleges and universities. Local or regional intervention and prevention numbers can also be included.
“I heard directly from students in my district about the need for more access to information and tools relating to crisis intervention,” said Rep. Callan. “This is not a new problem in our state, but this will provide our youth, faculty, and staff with some of the resources they need to act when a mental or behavioral health crisis occurs.”
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for teens 15 to 19 years old in Washington, according to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Washington State Department of Health. Twenty percent of surveyed Washington teens reported thoughts of suicide this past year, and King County has shown a concerning rise in teen death by suicide.
“By increasing the resources available to our youth, we are taking a significant step to ensure they have the support they need when they need it,” continued Callan.
House Bill 2589 received bipartisan support in both chambers, passing the House with a vote of 95-0 and the Senate with a vote of 42-7.