February 23rd, 2026
The Honorable Assemblymember Mia Bonta
Chair of Assembly Health Committee
Legislative Office Building
1020 N Street, Room 390
Sacramento, CA 95814
Re: Support for AB 1540 (M. Gonzalez): 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: LGBTQ+ Youth
Dear Chair,
The California Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN) is pleased to support AB 1540 (Gonzalez), legislation that would restore the 988 Press 3 option for suicide and crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth.
CAYEN is a youth-led statewide network comprised of TAY Action Teams and CAYEN Board members which engages, empowers and represents Transitional Age Youth (TAY), ages 15-26, in behavioral health advocacy on issues that directly affect TAY such as expanding suicide prevention and early intervention services.
Since 2022, 988—the nation’s official hotline for suicide prevention and crisis management—has contracted with several non-profit organizations to create a subnetwork of providers offering specialized services designed to prevent LGBTQ+ youth suicide. By calling “988” and pressing “3,” help seekers would be automatically routed to this subnetwork, and since its creation, over 1.5 million contacts have relied on this service.
On July 17th, 2025, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration ended all contracts with 988 subnetwork providers, leaving no specialized care services for queer and trans youth. This choice has resulted in even fewer affirming mental health resources for LGBTQ+ youth, a community that already lacks access to inclusive supports.
LGBTQ+ youth deserve better. AB 1540 provides a much-needed solution, ensuring that all LGBTQ+ youth in California, once again, have access to critical and lifesaving suicide and crisis intervention. It would re-establish the program cut by this federal administration, saving thousands of lives every year while ensuring funding to allow proper implementation.
For these reasons, CAYEN supports AB 1540 (Gonzalez) and asks for your “Aye” vote. If you have any questions, or if CAYEN can provide assistance on this bill or any other behavioral health legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me at dthirakul@mhac.org or our Director of Public Policy, Karen Vicari, at kvicari@mhaofca.org.
Sincerely,
Danny Thirakul
California Youth Empowerment Network
Public Policy Coordinator
