RAYS Act

Key Points

• A new bill introduced in Congress would require all middle and high schools that receive federal funding to print mental health crisis information on student ID cards. This includes the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and the Crisis Text Line.
• If a school district does not use physical ID cards, they would be required to post this contact information on their official website and on the computer apps or portals that students use for schoolwork.
• The goal is to ensure that teenagers have immediate, easy access to help during a mental health crisis. Schools can also choose to add local hotline numbers or contact info for school counselors to the cards.
• The bill also asks the government to run awareness campaigns to make sure parents, students, and teachers know these resources exist and how to use them.
• If the bill becomes law, schools would have one year to prepare before the new rules start. They would not have to replace old IDs immediately, but any new cards issued after that date must include the hotline information.

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