One of the bills enacted in the last general assembly requires school districts to make information about the telephone number for the national suicide and crisis lifeline available to students. The new law, Ohio Revised Code (RC) 3313.474, is effective on April 9, 2025. It requires that each district serving any of grades nine through 12 include the telephone number (988) in the following places, if they are used by the district:
- Each student identification card.
- Each planner issued to a student.
- Any electronic portal administered by the district that may be accessed by students.
The number must be included on any identification card and planner issued to students after April 9, 2025. The number should be included on any electronic portals on the effective date. The law also applies to community and STEM schools, as well as chartered nonpublic schools.
More information about legal requirements for student instruction on suicide awareness and prevention, violence prevention and social inclusion is available from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. The same website also includes a list of evidence-based programs on suicide awareness and prevention, violence prevention and social inclusion. The programs in the list have been reviewed by ODEW, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Ohio Department of Public Safety to determine whether they meet all legislative requirements.
The 988 suicide and crisis lifeline provides free and confidential support to Ohioans in a mental health crisis. By calling or texting 988, anyone can reach a trained specialist for help and support. The lifeline is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More information about the lifeline is available from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (ODMHA).
Side note for legislation wonks: The bill that enacted this law numbered it RC 3313.473, which was also assigned to a law enacted by another bill (HB 8) at around the same time. Whenever that happens, RC 103.131 on codification and numbering of laws kicks in. RC 103.131 designates the Director of the Legislative Service Commission as the “codifier of the laws of the state.” In that role, the LSC director can examine any act that has been passed by the General Assembly and, if necessary, give any section of the act its “proper sectional number.” That number becomes the law’s official Ohio Revised Code number. In this instance, the codifier of the laws of the state gave this law a new number: RC 3313.474.