BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1754
	By: Hernandez (Hinojosa)
	Education
	5/20/2021
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Adolescent suicide and self-inflicted injury are a serious social and public health concern. The rate of suicide among those aged 10 to 24 increased nearly 60 percent between 2007 and 2018, according to a report released September 2020 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is a significant increase from where the numbers stood in the early 2000s, remaining relatively stable until 2007. Since then, suicide rates have been on a gradual rise in 42 states, with Texas experiencing increase of 10.3 percent between 2016 � 2018.

Public schools tend to issue student ID cards to students in high school and often times issue them to students in middle school. Each public institution of higher education issues student ID cards. Some campus-issued cards already include emergency and key contact numbers on the cards. Suicide prevention hotline and/or text line numbers should be printed on student ID cards because students typically have them on their persons, while students may otherwise see this information only sporadically or after searching online.

H.B 1754 requires certain contact information for suicide prevention to be printed on all public school student ID cards for grades 7-12, as well as community colleges and public universities. The goal of this measure is to foster suicide prevention through greater awareness, equipping students as young as 12 years old. Providing an easily accessible suicide prevention telephone hotline number on a student�s ID cards will be another necessary resource for potential lifesaving help.

H.B. 1754 amends current law relating to the inclusion of suicide prevention information on certain student identification cards issued by a public school.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter G, Chapter 38, Education Code, by adding Section 38.353, as follows:

Sec. 38.353.� SUICIDE PREVENTION INFORMATION REQUIRED ON CERTAIN STUDENT IDENTIFICATION CARDS. Provides that each student identification card issued by a public school to a student in grade six or higher:

(1) is required to have printed on the card the contact information for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Crisis Text Line; and

(2) is authorized to have printed on the card the contact information for a local suicide prevention hotline, if available.

SECTION 2. Provides that Section 38.353, Education Code, as added by this Act, applies beginning with student identification cards issued for the 2022-2023 school year.

SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2021.