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4/9/2026
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House approves Read legislation to include crisis contact numbers on middle/high school student ID cards
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STATE HOUSE — The House of Representatives today approved legislation introduced by Rep. Earl A. Read III that would include crisis contact information on school-issued student identification cards.
The bill (2026-H 7026A) would amend the Nathan Bruno and Jason Flatt Act, directing middle and high schools that issue student identification cards to include telephone numbers for suicide prevention and substance use disorder prevention. This information would also be required on identification cards issued to school and district employees working in the schools.
Read, a retired Warwick police officer, currently serves as a high school teacher and works every day in the classroom with the very students and staff that this legislation would assist.
“As the mental health crisis among our nation’s youth worsens, it is imperative that we adopt whatever policies we can that will throw a lifeline to those who need help,” said Representative Read (D-Dist. 26, Coventry, West Warwick, Warwick). “When it comes to mental health, information can save lives, and this is a simple, cost-effective way to put students in touch with the people who can assist them, literally putting that information in the palms of their hands.”
According to the Mental Health Association of Rhode Island, in 2023, more than 300 Rhode Island high school students reported having seriously considered attempting suicide, with 266 of those students having made a plan, and 181 making one attempt or more. Substance use also continues to be a concern: about 18% of students reported drinking alcohol in the last 30 days, and about 20% said they used marijuana in the last month.
Dayna Gladstein, president and CEO of Newport Mental Health, testified in favor of the legislation, telling the House Education Committee, “This bill hits close to home for us, as it focuses on Nathan Bruno, a Portsmouth resident who took his own life in 2018. Our team serves the community in Portsmouth. We are there when the community grieves, and we are there as they navigate day to day. Any resource that makes their lives easier and provides an effective way to connect the most vulnerable among us with services when and where they need them is a clear victory in policy.”
The measure now moves to the Senate where similar legislation (2026-S 2348) has been introduced by Sen. Victoria Gu (D-Dist. 38, Charlestown, Westerly, South Kingstown).
For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922
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