Starting July 1, Assembly Bill 727 will require middle schools, high schools, and colleges in California to add the Trevor Project’s 24/7 crisis hotline to student ID cards.
The Trevor Project provides free, confidential crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth.
AB 727 expands on an already existing law signed in 2018, which required 7-12th grade schools and colleges to add the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to all of their students' IDs.
Mandee Culbert, a supervisor with SLO Behavioral Health who oversees school-based mental health services, said changes like this could make a world of difference.
“So the fact that we can put this resource at their fingertips on their student ID cards is a way we could potentially save lives,” Culbert said. “They can see that, okay, I’m being seen, I’m being heard, I have this resource that’s that specific to me.”
Linnea Valdivia, a program manager with the GALA Pride and Diversity Center, says the law sends an important message of inclusion.
“To see that come down from the state level and see that acknowledgment come from them is a wonderful step forward for inclusion,” Valdivia said.
According to the Trevor Project, 35 percent of LGBTQ+ youth in California reported considering suicide in 2024. About half of those who wanted mental health care said they did not receive it.
The Trevor Project's suicide prevention hotline is available 24/7 by calling 1-866-488-7386. Help is also available by texting "START" to 678678 or via online chat.
