Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act of 2025”.
988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act of 2025
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to dedicate sufficient resources for the support of LGBTQ+ youth seeking help from the 9–8–8 suicide prevention hotline, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress finds that—
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 45 percent of high school students who seriously considered attempting suicide in 2021 identified as LGBTQ+;
since its launch, the Specialized Services for LGBTQ+ youth within the 988 Suicide Prevention and Crisis Lifeline have received nearly 1,500,000 calls, texts, and chats, with an average of 2,200 contacts per day as of May 2025; and
given that LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide as compared to their peers, the Specialized Services for LGBTQ+ youth are equipped with crucial training addressing LGBTQ+ specific challenges and needs.
Sec. 3 Suicide prevention hotline services for LGBTQ+ youth
in paragraph (4), by striking “and” at the end;
in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(6) dedicating sufficient resources, including establishing, re-establishing, operating, and maintaining specialized services (known as the Press 3 option or Integrated Voice Response (IVR)), for the support of youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ+) seeking help from the suicide prevention hotline.”
Funding— Section 520E–3(f) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb–36c(f)) is amended by adding at the end the following: “Of the amounts appropriated under this subsection for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve not less than 9 percent for carrying out subsection (b)(6).”.