H.R. 10216: Public Transit Mental Health Awareness Act

This bill would require transit agencies that receive federal transit funding to display suicide prevention hotline information on public transportation they own or operate, in places riders can easily see it.

What the display has to say

The posted information would need to point people to the suicide prevention hotline maintained under federal law and make clear that the hotline is:

• free,
• confidential, and
• available 24 hours a day.

Where the information can be shown

A transit agency could meet the requirement by putting the information either:

• on its vehicles, such as buses or rail cars, or
• in its transit facilities, such as stations or terminals.

How compliance would work

If the required display is temporarily damaged, removed, vandalized, or otherwise unavailable, the transit agency would not be considered out of compliance as long as it makes a reasonable effort to replace or restore it.

Effect on advertising space

The bill says the required hotline information cannot interfere with revenue-generating advertising space. In other words, transit agencies would need to place the information in a way that does not take over ad space used to bring in income.

When it would take effect

The requirement would start one year after the bill becomes law.

Relevant Companies

None found