Title: Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act
This bill requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) that participate in federal student-aid programs to share contact information for suicide prevention resources with students.
If IHEs distribute student identification cards, then they must include on the cards phone numbers for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the Crisis Text Line, and a campus mental-health center or program.
If IHEs do not create such cards, then they must publish the numbers on their websites.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1585 Considered and Passed Senate (CPS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1585

  To add suicide prevention resources to school identification cards.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 12, 2021

Mr. Kennedy (for himself and Ms. Sinema) introduced the following bill; 
   which was read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To add suicide prevention resources to school identification cards.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Mental Health Access for 
Students Act''.

SEC. 2. ADDING SUICIDE PREVENTION CONTACT INFORMATION TO SCHOOL 
              IDENTIFICATION CARDS.

    (a) In General.--Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(30)(A) In the case of an institution that creates and 
        distributes identification cards for students at any time after 
        the date of enactment of this paragraph, such institution shall 
        include phone contact information on each such card for the 
        following organizations:
                    ``(i) The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
                    ``(ii) Crisis Text Line.
                    ``(iii) A campus mental health center or program, 
                as determined by the institution.
            ``(B) In the case of an institution that does not create 
        and distribute identification cards for students at any time 
        after the date of enactment of this paragraph, such institution 
        shall publish the suicide prevention contact information 
        specified in subparagraph (A) on the website of such 
        institution.
            ``(C) If an organization in clause (i) or (ii) of 
        subparagraph (A) ceases to exist, the Secretary may designate a 
        different entity with a similar purpose to be included on the 
        identification card.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
take effect beginning on the day that is 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act.
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