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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 13, 2021 10:34 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Tina M. Davis |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Requiring Suicide Hotline Numbers on Student ID Cards |
| According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the second leading cause of death among those ages 10-34. Between 2007 and 2017, suicide rates increased 56% for those ages 10-24. There are stigmas surrounding suicide which make it difficult to seek and receive help when one needs it, and this can be especially true for our children and young adults. In an effort to address this situation, a Michigan legislator recently introduced a bill called Save Our Students after she learned of two students in her child’s school district who committed suicide. One of the children, whose parents have started raising awareness about suicide in youth, was scared to reach out for help from those he knew. It is for this reason that I am reintroducing my bill House Bill 2448 from the 2019-2020 legislative session, requiring all Pennsylvania public schools that issue identification cards for students in grades 6-12 to also print local, state, and federal suicide prevention hotline numbers on those ID cards. This bill is similar to Michigan's Save Our Students bill, and California enacted similar legislation in 2018. Please join me in this effort to provide guidance, clarity, and agency to the children who need it most. |