Minnesota Senate Bill SF1669

Minnesota 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/16/23
• Refer: 2/16/23

Caption

Student identification cards requirement to include a mental health crisis telephone number

Impact

The implementation of SF1669 aims to provide readily accessible mental health resources to students, potentially reducing barriers to seeking help in crisis situations. By institutionalizing the presence of suicide prevention hotline numbers on student ID cards, the bill hopes to foster an environment where mental health resources are more visible and accessible for students, particularly in emergency situations. This requirement could also act as a catalyst for increased awareness around mental health issues within school communities.

Summary

SF1669 is a bill focused on enhancing the mental health safety protocols in educational institutions by mandating that student identification cards include a mental health crisis telephone number. Specifically, it requires school districts and charter schools that issue identification cards to students in middle school and high school to display the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number or the national 988 telephone number. Nonpublic schools are encouraged to adopt this practice as well, although it is not mandated for them.

Contention

While the bill has been broadly supported as a necessary step toward enhancing student mental health support, there are concerns regarding the potential financial implications for school districts. The requirement that schools must include this information on student identification cards could pose challenges for those districts already facing budget constraints. Additionally, discussions around whether this initiative alone is sufficient to address the deeper issues of mental health in schools have led to varied opinions among educators and policy-makers.