Law requiring suicide prevention number on IDs could expand

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Last year, Tennessee legislators passed a bill requiring the suicide prevention number on student IDs.

The bill, which was signed by the governor in March of 2022, requires students from sixth to 12th grade have the phone number of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on the card.

That bill also required there be a social media handle, telephone number, or text number for at least one additional crisis resource.

Now, a similar bill is being sought to expand this to higher education.

“What this does, is it expands it to secondary education. It also makes a couple of updates and adds the 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline,” said Rep. Bob Freeman, of Nashville.

Freeman adds that the bill would address digital IDs for students. He says it would have to go onto the website and apps.

It passed a vote in the House’s Higher Education Subcommittee and will now go to the Education Administration.

Last year’s bill was dubbed the “Save Tennessee Students Act.”

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