RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE NATHAN BRUNO AND JASON FLATT ACT
Summary
S2348, the Nathan Bruno and Jason Flatt Act, requires middle and high schools under the jurisdiction of the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education that issue student identification cards to print or affix crisis contact information on those cards. Specifically, student ID cards must include the telephone number for a state or national suicide prevention hotline and the telephone number for a state or national substance abuse crisis center. The bill allows schools to satisfy both requirements with a single number if it connects users to both suicide and substance use crisis services, such as the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
The bill also extends the same requirement to staff ID cards issued to teachers, administrators, professional staff, and custodial staff working in the school or district. Schools may place the information directly on the card or on a sticker attached to the card. The act would take effect immediately upon passage.
Impact
This bill would amend Rhode Island General Laws chapter 16-21.7 by adding a new section governing the content of student and staff identification cards in middle and high schools overseen by RIDE. It would create a statewide requirement for schools that issue ID cards to include suicide prevention and substance use crisis contact information, affecting school districts, school administrators, and any staff responsible for ID card design and issuance. The measure is intended to increase visibility of crisis resources for students and school employees without mandating a specific card format beyond the required contact information.
Sentiment
The available legislative history suggests generally favorable treatment of the bill, with the Senate Committee on Education voting 7-0 to hold it for further study rather than rejecting it. The bill’s purpose is preventive and supportive, focusing on mental health and substance use crisis access, which typically draws broad bipartisan sympathy. No committee transcript is available, so there is no recorded debate in the provided materials, but the unanimous committee vote indicates no immediate opposition at the committee level.
Contention
The main practical issues likely concern implementation rather than the underlying policy goal. Schools may need to adjust ID card templates, determine whether to use a single combined crisis number or separate numbers, and decide whether to print the information directly or use stickers. Potential concerns could include administrative burden, card space limitations, and whether the requirement should apply to all schools or only those that already issue ID cards. The bill text and available vote record do not identify any specific legislator or stakeholder opposition.