ILLINOIS (WAND) - A law looking to prevent teen suicide by enhancing mental health awareness in classrooms has been signed by Gov. JB Pritzker.
The governor said House Bill 1778 will require all middle schools, high schools and public universities to have the numbers for crisis hotlines on IDs. Contact information for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the Crisis Text Line and either Safe2Help Illinois or a local suicide prevention hotline will be on ID cards. The measure, known as the Beyond Charity Law, goes into effect July 1, 2022.
The name comes from Naperville Central students, who formed the Beyond Charity nonprofit to raise mental health awareness.
"Every student - regardless of their grade, school and struggles - will carry an affirmation that mental health matters, with a life-saving resource in their back pocket," Pritzker said.
One lawmaker pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason for this bill becoming law.
"Young people faced a lot of stress this past year and a half. As they return to school this fall, it’s so important for them to have the resources they might need in a mental health crisis,” said State Sen. Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park). “Something as simple as a close-at-hand crisis hotline number can help prevent a tragedy. I thank the governor for signing this measure into law today.”
