AB 1956
Suicide prevention.
Vote required
Majority
Fiscal committee
No
Appropriation
No
Current location
Appropriations
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- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill amends existing law to authorize the California Department of Public Health to establish an Office of Suicide Prevention. The office will focus on reducing suicide rates by assessing and reporting on prevention policies and practices, particularly targeting youth, with special attention given to boys and young men. The office is also required to report to the legislature on strategies for implementing these focused activities.
Key provisions
- Authorizes the establishment of an Office of Suicide Prevention within the Department of Public Health.
- Allows the office to conduct assessments of suicide prevention policies and practices.
- Directs the office to monitor and disseminate data related to suicide prevention.
- Requires the office to convene experts and stakeholders for collaboration.
- Specifies that the office should prioritize groups with high suicide risk, including youth, boys, Native American youth, older adults, veterans, LGBTQ people, and young men.
- Mandates a report to the Legislature by July 1, 2028, outlining strategies for focusing on boys and young men.
- Establishes a sunset date for the reporting requirement of July 1, 2032.
Who is affected
- California Department of Public Health
- State Legislature
- Youth
- Boys
- Young Men
Notable changes
- Specifically directs the Office of Suicide Prevention to focus on boys and young men as a priority group.
Arguments in favor
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AB1956:v98#DOCUMENT
Bill Start
| Amended IN Assembly May 11, 2026 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 1956
| Introduced by Assembly Member Valencia (Coauthor: Assembly Member Ramos) |
| February 13, 2026 |
An act to amend Section 131300 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to public health.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1956, as amended, Valencia. Suicide prevention.
Existing law authorizes the State Department of Public Health to establish the Office of Suicide Prevention within the department. Existing law authorizes the office, if established, to perform certain functions, including, among others, conducting state-level assessment of regional and statewide suicide prevention policies and practices and reporting on progress to reduce rates of suicide. Existing law authorizes the office, if established, to focus activities on groups with the highest risk, including youth, Native American youth, older adults, veterans, and LGBTQ people.
This bill would authorize the office’s activities focused on youth to pay special attention to boys. The bill would additionally authorize the office to focus activities on young men. The bill would require the office, if established, to report to the Legislature, on or before July 1, 2028, on strategies to implement the activities focused on boys and young men.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO
Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 131300 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read:
131300.
(a) The State Department of Public Health is hereby authorized to may establish the Office of Suicide Prevention in the department pursuant to this chapter. The responsibilities of the office, if established, may include all of the following:
(1) Providing information and technical assistance to statewide and regional partners regarding best practices on suicide prevention policies and programs.
(2) Conducting state level state-level assessment of regional and statewide suicide prevention policies and practices, including other states’ suicide prevention policies, and including policies and specific metrics and domains domains, as appropriate.
(3) Monitoring and disseminating data to inform prevention efforts at the state and local levels.
(4) Convening experts and stakeholders, including, but not limited to, stakeholders representing populations with high rates of suicide, to encourage collaboration and coordination of resources for suicide prevention.
(5) Reporting on progress to reduce rates of suicide.
(b) If established, the office may focus activities on groups with the highest risk, including youth, with special attention on boys, Native American youth, older adults, veterans, LGBTQ people, and young men.
(c) (1) On or before July 1, 2028, the office, if established, shall provide a report to the Legislature on strategies to implement the activities focused on boys and young men described in subdivision (b).
(2) The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(3) Pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the reporting requirement imposed by paragraph (1) is inoperative on July 1, 2032.