SPRINGFIELD – Legislation sponsored by State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) to include contact information for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Crisis Text Line on student identification cards passed the Senate this week. 

“Students are constantly required to use their student ID cards, and keeping these mental health resources close at hand can be the difference between life and death,” Bennett said. “While we hope nobody has to use these numbers, no one is immune to mental health issues. If students need it, the helpline number is right in their pocket.”

The legislation, an initiative of the Illinois Education Association, would require the contact information for national crisis hotlines specializing in domestic violence, sexual assault and suicide to be printed on identification badges issued to public middle and high school students in Illinois. School districts that do not issue student IDs would instead be required to publish the information on their websites.

“In society today, our children are facing so many additional pressures and now even more stress brought on by the pandemic," said State Representative Mike Marron (R-Fithian), the sponsor of the bill in the House. "This is a simple step to ensure all of our young people know about these vital resources and help."

House Bill 597 passed the Senate and the House of Representatives and now awaits the governor’s signature.

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