There is a law in Idaho now, Senate Bill 1329, which has directly caused the Death of Children. Under 1329, minors who call a suicide hotline without overt recorded parental approval must by law be hung up on, whether in active crisis or not.

The Same law, as written, has the additional unintended consequence of preventing school professionals, such as nurses, from giving any form of healthcare, including basic care, if they are unable to reach a student's guardians.

Among highschoolers today, everyone knows someone who has dealt with depression, though they may not always realize it. It is the leading cause of death among people my age. The suicide hotline, 988, is printed on the back of our school ID badges. And yet, if I were to call it and answer honestly when they ask for my age, they must immediately get either parental permission or hang up. But when you are in A situation like that, to ask for help, especially from your parents, is the single hardest thing a person can do. To tell them you want to die. And this doesn't even address the fact that, for many, abusive parents is the problem. In cooperation with B-A-B-E VOTE, we are working to change this bill for the better, to continue to both protect children, and let them get the help that they so desperately need. You can make a change, and now is the time to make it.