RAYS Act

Key Points

• This bill, known as the RAYS Act, would require middle and high schools that receive federal money to include mental health and suicide prevention contact information on student ID cards.
• The ID cards would need to list the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and the Crisis Text Line. Schools can also choose to add local hotline numbers or contact info for school counselors.
• For schools that do not use physical ID cards, the bill requires them to post this life-saving information on their official websites and the computer programs students use for classes.
• The goal is to make sure students always have a way to get help during a mental health crisis. The government would also run awareness campaigns to make sure parents and teachers know these resources exist.
• If the bill becomes law, schools would have one year to prepare. They would not have to replace old IDs immediately, but any new cards issued after that date would need to have the information.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.