988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act of 2025

This bill aims to enhance support for LGBTQ+ youth utilizing the 9-8-8 suicide prevention hotline, citing findings that this demographic is significantly more likely to consider suicide and has already heavily used existing specialized services. It recognizes the crucial training and specific challenges addressed by these services. The legislation amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to dedicate sufficient resources for establishing, operating, and maintaining specialized services, such as a "Press 3 option" or Integrated Voice Response, specifically for LGBTQ+ youth seeking help from the hotline. This ensures tailored support for their unique needs. Crucially, the bill also mandates a dedicated funding stream, requiring that not less than 9 percent of the annual appropriations for the 988 suicide prevention hotline be reserved specifically for carrying out these specialized services for LGBTQ+ youth.