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The Texas House of Representatives recently passed a piece of legislation aimed at helping to prevent youth suicide by adding information to student identification cards encouraging those who need it to seek help.
State Rep. Ana Hernandez (D-Houston), who sponsored House Bill 1754, recently took to social media to explain her reason for sponsoring the bill, which would require schools to print information on how to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on all printed student identification cards for students in sixth grade and above.
“Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for adolescents ages 15-24,” she said in a post to her official Facebook page. “HB 1754 will provide a readily-accessible lifeline for those on the precipice of committing a tragic, irreversible decision.”
The legislation comes in the midst of Mental Health Awareness Month, which was established in 1949, according to The Dallas Express. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners has stated that approximately 122 million U.S. residents live in areas that have limited access to mental health practitioners.
"During #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, take a moment to check in on your friends and loved ones,” U.S. Rep Kay Granger (R-FortWorth) was quoted as saying in a tweet by The Dallas Express. “If you are struggling, help is out there."
The nation’s mental health crisis in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought increased attention to the problems many young people are facing, according to coverage by the Texas Standard. Texas is expected to receive approximately $2 billion in federal aid, a portion of which will go to the state's public school districts to help deal with the crisis.
“Schools should have practices and procedures related to mental health prevention and intervention, substance use prevention and intervention, suicide prevention, intervention and postvention,” Josette Saxton, a mental health policy expert with Texans Care for Children, was quoted as saying by the Texas Standard.