SENATE BILL REPORT

SHB 2589

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Requires public K-12 schools and public institutions of higher educations that print student identification (ID) cards, staff ID cards, or both, to print the contact information for suicide prevention organizations on either side of the ID cards, within existing resources.
Requires the information to include contact information for a national suicide prevention organization and contact information for one or more campus, local, state, or national organizations specializing in suicide prevention, crisis intervention, or counseling, if available.

Background: Student and Staff Identification Cards. The school board of each public school district may establish and collect fees from students and nonstudents at optional noncredit extracurricular events. Fees are often collected by an associated student body (ASB) organization. Many ASBs allow for the purchase of a student identification card, which is used for various purposes, and are sometimes required for participation in certain school-sponsored activities, including athletics.

Schools in all areas of higher education regularly issue ID cards to students, faculty, and staff for identification, building access, dining payments, and other uses.

The 2019-21 Omnibus Operating Budget directed the public institutions of higher education—community and technical colleges, University of Washington, Washington State University, Eastern Washington University, Central Washington University, Western Washington University, and The Evergreen State College—to include the phone number of a campus, local, state, or national suicide, crisis, or counseling hotline on the back of newly issued student and faculty identification cards starting in fall quarter 2019, or as soon as is practicable to implement.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. In 2004, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration established the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The Lifeline is a national suicide prevention network that connects callers to a network of crisis centers via a toll-free hotline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Lifeline's number is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

In 2019, the Federal Communications Commission proposed the creation of a national, three-digit hotline for suicide prevention and mental health, using the telephone number 988.

Summary of Bill: Every public K-12 school or public institution of higher education that issues student ID cards, staff ID cards, or both, must print the contact information for suicide prevention organizations on either side of the ID cards, within existing resources. The information must include contact information for a national suicide prevention organization and contact information for one or more campus, local, state, or national organizations specializing in suicide prevention, crisis intervention, or counseling, if available.

ID card requirements shall apply to ID cards issued for the first time and those issued to replace a damaged or lost identification card. If a school has a supply of unissued ID cards that do not comply with these requirements, the school may issue those ID cards until that supply is depleted or until June 30, 2021.