S-5430.1

SENATE BILL 6449

State of Washington
66th Legislature
2020 Regular Session
BySenators Wellman, Wagoner, Takko, Walsh, Hunt, Zeiger, Cleveland, Kuderer, Nguyen, Das, Frockt, Hasegawa, Saldaña, Van De Wege, and Wilson, C.
Read first time 01/17/20.Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.
AN ACT Relating to requiring contact information for suicide prevention and crisis intervention organizations on student and staff identification cards; adding a new section to chapter 28A.210 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28B.10 RCW; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. The legislature finds that there are national and local organizations specializing in suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and counseling that provide free, confidential emotional support for people who are in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Immediate access to these services often prevents suicide, attempted suicide, and other harm. The federal government recognized the importance of free support services when, in 2005, it launched a ten digit national suicide prevention lifeline and then, in 2019, it announced plans to designate 988 as the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline. The contact information for these lifesaving services should be easily accessible to Washington residents, particularly students and the caring adults who work with them. Therefore, the legislature intends to require that contact information for suicide prevention and crisis intervention organizations be printed on student and staff identification cards.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.210 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Every public and private school that issues student identification cards, staff identification cards, or both, must have printed on either side of the identification cards:
(a) The contact information for a national suicide prevention organization; and
(b) The contact information for one or more campus, local, state, or national organizations specializing in suicide prevention, crisis intervention, or counseling, if available.
(2) The requirements in subsection (1) of this section apply to student identification cards and staff identification cards issued for the first time and issued to replace a damaged or lost identification card.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Every institution of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016, degree-granting institution as defined in RCW 28B.85.010, private vocational school as defined in RCW 28C.10.020, and school as defined in RCW 18.16.020 that issues student identification cards, faculty or staff identification cards, or both, must have printed on either side of the identification cards:
(a) The contact information for a national suicide prevention organization; and
(b) The contact information for one or more campus, local, state, or national organizations specializing in suicide prevention, crisis intervention, or counseling, if available.
(2) The requirements in subsection (1) of this section apply to student identification cards and faculty or staff identification cards issued for the first time and issued to replace a damaged or lost identification card.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4. (1) Notwithstanding the requirements in sections 2 and 3 of this act, if a school or institution of higher education subject to the requirements of section 2 or 3 of this act, respectively, has a supply of unissued identification cards that do not comply with the requirements of section 2 or 3 of this act, the school or institution of higher education may issue those identification cards until that supply is depleted.
(2) This section expires June 30, 2021.
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