988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act of 2025
This bill reestablishes specialized services for youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ+) and seeking help from the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. This lifeline, which is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is a three-digit number that connects callers in suicidal crisis or mental health distress to a national network of crisis centers.
Previously, callers under the age of 25 could call the lifeline and press 3 to access specialized support for LGBTQ+ youth, but this subnetwork closed in 2025. The bill requires SAMHSA to reestablish and maintain these specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth seeking help from the lifeline. Also, the bill requires a certain minimum percentage of the funds appropriated for implementing the lifeline to be reserved for these services to LGBTQ+ youth.