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,
Mental Health America of California (MHAC) is pleased to support AB 1540 (Gonzalez), legislation that would restore the 988 Press 3 option for suicide and crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth.
MHAC is a peer-run organization leading the state in behavioral health public policy and advocacy since 1957. The mission of MHAC is to assist and encourage communities, families and individuals to experience hope, wellness and recovery from mental health and substance use disorder issues through voluntary services that are delivered in their local community with compassion and respect for everyone’s dignity and autonomy.
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. On July 17th, 2025, President Trump ended all contracts with 988 subnetwork providers, leaving no specialized care services for queer and trans youth.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted that 20% of surveyed students who identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual reported having attempted suicide, compared to 6% of their heterosexual peers. This rate jumps to nearly 26% for transgender high school students. This bill would restore the “Press 3” option so that all LGBTQ+ youth in California have access to critical and lifesaving suicide and crisis intervention.
It is for these reasons that MHAC supports AB 1540 (Gonzalez) and asks for your “Aye” vote. If you have any questions, or if MHAC can provide any assistance on this bill or any behavioral health legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me at kvicari@mhac.org or our Public Policy Coordinator, Danny Thirakul, at dthirakul@mhac.org.
In Community,
Karen Vicari
Director of Public Policy
Mental Health America of California
