988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act of 2025
Key claim: If enacted, SAMHSA would have to restore the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s specialized support for LGBTQ+ callers under 25 (the former press-3 option) and reserve a minimum share of lifeline funding for those services.
Abstract
(S2826 · 119th Congress) 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. Latest action (2026-03-19): Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Hearings held.
Why this matters
SAMHSA ended the dedicated press-3 routing to LGBTQ±trained counselors in mid-2025, consolidating all 988 calls into general queues. For LGBTQ+ callers under 25 — a group with elevated suicide risk — the bill would restore access to specialized counselors and lock in a funding floor, but it has not moved beyond committee, so the practical status quo remains general-line routing.