RAYS Act | ChamberLight

IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS

House BillHR 7092Education

RAYS Act

INTRO JAN 15· LAST ACTION JAN 15

READING

4MIN

COSPONSORS

5BIPARTISAN

READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL

NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST

Introduced only

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 2 / 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed House

Passed Senate

Conference

To President

Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

This bill matters because it provides a direct, practical response to the growing concern over youth mental health and rising suicide rates among young people. By making crisis hotline information ubiquitous on student ID cards or school digital platforms, it ensures that students in distress have immediate, private access to help, potentially saving lives. This approach removes potential barriers, such as not knowing where to look for help or feeling embarrassed to ask a teacher or parent.

If this bill becomes law, it sets a nationwide standard for how schools communicate crucial mental health support, promoting consistency and ensuring that more students are aware of available resources. Without it, the provision of such information remains inconsistent across different school districts, leaving many students to navigate mental health crises without readily accessible support. It's a tangible step towards normalizing the discussion around mental health and ensuring help is always within reach for vulnerable youth.

KEY PROVISIONS

5AI-extracted

PROVISION 01

Requires local educational agencies that issue ID cards to secondary students to include contact information for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, and a local/state suicide prevention hotline on student ID cards.

Ensures critical mental health resources are directly accessible to students on an item they commonly carry.

PROVISION 02

Mandates that local educational agencies not issuing ID cards to secondary students must prominently publish the same crisis contact information on their public websites and student-used computer portals.

Guarantees students without physical ID cards still have digital access to vital support resources.

PROVISION 03

Authorizes the Secretary of Education to designate alternative mental health services if the primary ones listed become unavailable or ineffective.

Provides flexibility to ensure students always have access to functional, up-to-date crisis support.

PROVISION 04

Requires federal agencies, including the Department of Education and Health and Human Services, to conduct outreach and awareness campaigns about these mental health resources.

Ensures the target audience, including students and parents, is aware of these resources and how to access them.

PROVISION 05

Allows schools the option to include additional local mental health resources and to add the crisis information to staff identification cards.

Offers flexibility for schools to tailor resources to their community and extend awareness to adults.

SPONSORSHIP

1 + 5

COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 80%

DEM 2 REP 3 IND 0

ACTION TIMELINE

2 EVENTS

JAN 15

Introduced in House

INTROREFERRAL

JAN 15

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

HOUSE · INTROREFERRAL

BILL INFO

TypeHouse Bill

NumberHR 7092

Congress119th

StatusIn Committee

IntroducedJan 15, 2026

Last actionJan 15, 2026

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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED JAN 15, 2026

House BillHR 7092Education

RAYS Act

INTRODUCED JAN 15, 2026· LAST ACTION JAN 15, 2026

PASSAGE CHANCES

—%

READING

4 min

COSPONSORS

COMPLEXITY

Moderate

Call my reps Congress.gov

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

STEP 2 OF 8

Introduced

In Committee

Reported

Passed House

Passed Senate

Conference

To President

Became Law

Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law

WHAT THE BILL DOES

AI-written

KEY PROVISIONS

AI-extracted

high

Ensures critical mental health resources are directly accessible to students on an item they commonly carry.

high

Guarantees students without physical ID cards still have digital access to vital support resources.

med

Authorizes the Secretary of Education to designate alternative mental health services if the primary ones listed become unavailable or ineffective.

Provides flexibility to ensure students always have access to functional, up-to-date crisis support.

med

Requires federal agencies, including the Department of Education and Health and Human Services, to conduct outreach and awareness campaigns about these mental health resources.

Ensures the target audience, including students and parents, is aware of these resources and how to access them.

low

Allows schools the option to include additional local mental health resources and to add the crisis information to staff identification cards.

Offers flexibility for schools to tailor resources to their community and extend awareness to adults.

DEADLINES & DATES

AI-extracted

An AI model extracted this from the bill’s official record and can make mistakes. Check the official text ↗ (opens in new tab)

School years beginning one year after the date of enactment of this Act.

The requirements for physical ID cards apply to school years beginning after the effective date of this section.

Beginning 60 days after the effective date of this section.

The requirements for publishing information on websites and computer portals apply.

Not later than 60 days after designating an alternative service.

The Secretary must notify local educational agencies of any designated alternative services and provide contact information.

One year after the date of enactment of this Act.

The amendments related to including mental health information on ID cards take effect.

GLOSSARY

AI-written

Local Educational Agency (LEA): A public school district or other public body responsible for managing or providing services to public elementary or secondary schools, specifically those that receive federal funds.
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA): A major federal law that governs U.S. K-12 education policy, providing funding and guidelines to states for public schools.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: A national network that provides free, confidential support 24/7 to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress via phone calls or texts.
Crisis Text Line: A free, 24/7, confidential text messaging service that connects people in crisis with trained crisis counselors.
Secondary Schools: Educational institutions that typically serve students in grades 9 through 12, commonly known as high schools.
Secretary: Refers to the U.S. Secretary of Education, who leads the U.S. Department of Education.
Secretary of Health and Human Services: The head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, responsible for public health and human services programs.

ACTION TIMELINE

2 EVENTS

JAN 15

Introduced in House

INTROREFERRAL

JAN 15

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

INTROREFERRAL

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RAYS Act

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

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ACTION TIMELINE

BILL INFO

READER REACTIONS

Discussion

RAYS Act

LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS

WHAT THE BILL DOES

KEY PROVISIONS

DEADLINES & DATES

GLOSSARY

ACTION TIMELINE

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