The Student Mental Health Line Awareness Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 796

Short Title: The Student Mental Health Line Awareness Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Buansi, Cunningham, Pickett, and Reeder (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Education - K-12, if favorable, Health, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and
Operations of the House
April 8, 2025
*H796-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REQUIRE SU ICIDE SAFETY NUMBERS ON STUDENT IDENTIFICATION 2
CARDS IN PUBLIC SCHO OLS SERVING STUDENTS IN GRADES SIX THROU GH 3
TWELVE. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1.(a) G.S. 115C-47 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 6
"(70) To Print Safety Numbers on Student Identification Cards (Student IDs). – A 7
local board of education shall ensure that any new student ID issued to a 8
student in grade six throug h 12 shall have printed in a conspicuous location 9
on the ID the following text and phone numbers: 10
a. Call or text the Lifeline at 988, available 24 hours a day. 11
b. The Crisis Text line can be accessed by texting HOME to 741741. 12
c. The telephone number for the NC Statewide Warmline is 13
1-855-733-7762. 14
The local board of education shall verify that the numbers being printed on 15
student IDs are accurate and current on an annual basis and shall use updated 16
contact information for the resources listed in this section if found. Nothing in 17
this subdivision shall be construed to require the issuance of student IDs." 18
SECTION 1.(b) G.S. 115C-150.12C is amended by adding a new subdivision to 19
read: 20
"(37) To print safety numbers on student identification cards (student IDs). – The 21
board of trustees shall ensure that any new student ID issued to a student in 22
grade six through 12 shall have printed in a conspicuous location on the ID 23
the following text and phone numbers: 24
a. Call or text the Lifeline at 988, available 24 hours a day. 25
b. The Crisis Text line can be accessed by texting HOME to 741741. 26
c. The telephone number for the NC Statewide Warmline is 27
1-855-733-7762. 28
The board shall verify that the numbers being printed on student IDs are 29
accurate and current on an annual basis and shall use updated contac t 30
information for the resources listed in this section if found. Nothing in this 31
subdivision shall be construed to require the issuance of student IDs." 32
SECTION 1.(c) G.S. 115C-218.75 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 33
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 796-First Edition
"(p) To Print Safety Numbers on Student Identification Cards (Student IDs). – A charter 1
school shall ensure that any new student ID issued to a student in grade six through 12 shall have 2
printed in a conspicuous location on the ID the following text and phone numbers: 3
(1) Call or text the Lifeline at 988, available 24 hours a day. 4
(2) The Crisis Text line can be accessed by texting HOME to 741741. 5
(3) The telephone number for the NC Statewide Warmline is 1-855-733-7762. 6
The school shall verify that the numbers being printed on student IDs are accurate and current 7
on an annual basis and shall use updated contact information for the resources listed in this 8
section if found. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require the issuance of student 9
IDs." 10
SECTION 1.(d) G.S. 115C-238.66 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 11
"(23) To print safety numbers on student identification cards (student IDs). – A 12
regional school shall ensure that any new student ID issued to a student in 13
grade six through 12 shall have printed in a conspicuous location on the ID 14
the following text and phone numbers: 15
a. Call or text the Lifeline at 988, available 24 hours a day. 16
b. The Crisis Text line can be accessed by texting HOME to 741741. 17
c. The telephone number for the NC Statewide Warmline is 18
1-855-733-7762. 19
The school shall verify that the numbers being printed on student IDs are 20
accurate and current on an annual basis and shall use updated contact 21
information for the resources listed in this section if found. Nothing in this 22
subdivision shall be construed to require the issuance of student IDs." 23
SECTION 1.(e) G.S. 116-239.8(b) is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 24
"(26) To print safety numbers on student identification cards (student IDs). – A 25
laboratory school shall ensure that any new student ID issued to a student in 26
grade six through 12 shall have printed in a conspicuous location on the ID 27
the following text and phone numbers: 28
a. Call or text the Lifeline at 988, available 24 hours a day. 29
b. The Crisis Text line can be accessed by texting HOME to 741741. 30
c. The telephone number for the NC Statewide Warmline is 31
1-855-733-7762. 32
The school shall verify that the numbers being printed on student IDs are 33
accurate and current on an annual basis and shall use update d contact 34
information for the resources listed in this section if found. Nothing in this 35
subdivision shall be construed to require the issuance of student IDs." 36
SECTION 1.(f) Part 4 of Article 39 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is 37
amended by adding a new section to read: 38
"§ 115C-566.5. To provide safety numbers on student identification cards. 39
To Print Safety Numbers on Student Identification Cards (Student IDs). – Nonpublic schools 40
operating pursuant to Part 1 or Part 2 of this Article are encouraged to include on any student ID 41
issued to a student in grade six through 12 in a conspicuous location on the ID the following text 42
and phone numbers: 43
(1) Call or text the Lifeline at 988, available 24 hours a day. 44
(2) The Crisis Text line can be accessed by texting HOME to 741741. 45
(3) The telephone number for the NC Statewide Warmline is 1-855-733-7762. 46
The school is encouraged to verify that the numbers being printed on student IDs are accurate 47
and current on an annual basis and use updated contact information for the resources listed in this 48
section if found. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the issuance of student IDs." 49
SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law and applies beginning with 50
the 2025-2026 school year. 51