Public Transit Mental Health Awareness

Summary#

This bill requires recipients of assistance under chapter 53 of title 49 (including subrecipients) to display information about the suicide prevention hotline on public transportation they own or operate. The posted information must say the hotline is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day. A recipient can meet the requirement by placing the information on all of its rolling stock vehicles or in all of its transit facilities. If a required display is temporarily damaged, removed, vandalized, or unavailable, the recipient is not out of compliance as long as it makes a reasonable effort to replace or restore the display. The display must not interfere with revenue-generating advertising space. The requirement takes effect one year after the bill becomes law.

What it means for you#

• If you ride transit owned or operated by an agency that gets assistance under chapter 53, you should see suicide prevention hotline information on vehicles or at stations within one year after enactment.
• Transit agencies (and their subrecipients) are responsible for posting the information but can choose to post it either on all vehicles or in all facilities.
• Temporary damage or vandalism does not immediately count as a violation if the agency makes a reasonable effort to fix the display.
• The required postings must be placed so they do not replace or interfere with paid advertising space.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on costs or funding. The bill text does not include cost estimates or a funding source.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.