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Read. Follow. Verify.Proposed Requirement for Suicide Prevention Contacts on Student ID Cards
Record date · June 24, 2026
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What This Bill Does
Senator Kennedy has proposed an amendment to the Higher Education Act that would require colleges and universities to include the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on all student identification cards. The proposal applies to both physical and digital ID cards and requires institutions that do not issue cards to publish this information on their websites.
If enacted, this amendment would mandate that all higher education institutions update their student ID card designs and websites to include specific mental health crisis contact information within two years of the bill's passage.
- Mr. Kennedy is a U.S. Senator. context
- S. 4784 is the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Institutions of higher education
These institutions must update their student ID card designs and websites to include specific crisis contact information.
Students
Students will receive updated identification cards or access to crisis information via their institution's website.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply to all colleges and universities?
Do I need to get a new student ID card if this passes?
What if my school doesn't use ID cards?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Standardization of Crisis Resources
The amendment reflects a legislative trend toward standardizing the inclusion of mental health crisis resources on institutional identification documents.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance40How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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