988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act of 2025

S. 2826 would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to dedicate sufficient resources to support LGBTQ+ youth seeking help from the 988 Suicide Prevention and Crisis Lifeline. The bill would require the department to maintain specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth, including a dedicated option for callers to reach trained counselors, and to reserve at least 9 percent of 988 Lifeline funding annually for these services.

The bill responds to data showing that LGBTQ+ youth face elevated suicide risk. 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+, and LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide compared to their peers. Since the specialized LGBTQ+ services launched, they have received over 1.5 million calls, texts, and chats, averaging approximately 2,200 contacts per day as of May 2025.

The bill is currently under consideration by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, with hearings held in March 2026. If enacted, it would codify these specialized services into law to ensure their continued availability and funding.