A Message from Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan
We are in the midst of a youth mental health crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 40% of high school students reported experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in recent years, with that number at 53% for female students. Rates of self-harm and suicide among young people have risen at alarming rates,with suicide the second leading cause of death among individuals aged 10–14 and 25–34, and the third leading cause for those aged 15–24.
As a mother of three and your representative, I feel this crisis deeply. Families across California are desperate for solutions that provide care, not punishment, and ensure our children are safe, both online and offline.
In 2021, I authored the Miles Hall Lifeline Act, named in honor of a young man in our community who was tragically killed by law enforcement during a mental health crisis. That legislation established California’s 988 crisis hotline to connect people in mental distress with trained mental health professionals.
This year, I’ve continued that work by introducing AB 56 and AB 1064, two key bills that respond to emerging threats to youth mental health, namely, the unregulated impacts of social media and artificial intelligence. These bills are part of my ongoing commitment to safeguarding children’s mental well-being and ensuring families have the information, tools, and protections they need.
2025 Legislative Response
I've introduced critical legislation to address these urgent concerns:
AB 56: Social Media Warning Labels
In response to the Surgeon General's advisory that adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of poor mental health outcomes, I introduced AB 56 to ensure parents, adolescents, and the public are properly warned about these risks.
This legislation requires platforms to periodically display the Surgeon General's warning about the association between social media use and significant mental health harms for young users.
Similar to warning labels on tobacco products, this measure ensures users, especially adolescents and parents, are informed of potential risks based on the latest research. The warnings would appear upon initial login and after extended periods of continuous use, with appropriate display requirements to ensure users see this important health information.
AB 1064: LEAD for Kids Standard Board
As artificial intelligence becomes rapidly integrated into children's daily lives, we face a new frontier of potential risks with insufficient information about how these technologies affect young users. My bill AB 1064 establishes the LEAD for Kids Standard Board to oversee and regulate AI systems used by or targeting children, ensuring these technologies are developed and used ethically.
The bill addresses one of the newest and potentially most harmful developments: companion AI. These anthropomorphic chatbots are designed to simulate human personalities and can present themselves as trusted friends or even mental health specialists. Recent investigations by the Wall Street Journal found these "digital companions" were easily persuaded to engage in sexually explicit discussions, even when users identified themselves as children.
What AB 1064 Does:
- Establishes the LEAD for Kids Standard Board to oversee and regulate AI systems used by or on children, and to ensure AI technologies are developed and used ethically
- Requires risk-level assessments performed by developers to classify systems based on their potential risks to children, with stricter requirements for high-risk systems, including pre- and post-deployment assessments
- Prohibits certain harmful AI products for children, including emotionally-manipulative companion AI chatbots, emotion detection systems, social scoring systems, and certain facial recognition systems
- Creates a registry for covered AI products, mandates incident reporting for harms created by these products and requires periodic independent audits
- Protects children's privacy by requiring affirmative written consent from parents before a child's personal information can be used to train an AI model
- Ensures transparency by mandating that AI systems inform consumers about a product's purpose, where its data comes from, and its risk level
- Establishes strong penalties for violations
AB 988: The Miles Hall Lifeline Act
In 2021, I authored the Miles Hall Lifeline Act, named in memory of Miles Hall, a young man in our community who was tragically killed by law enforcement while experiencing a mental health crisis. His story reflects a broader systemic failure: one 2015 study estimated that 25% of individuals killed in police-involved shootings had a known mental illness, often because no alternative response was available.
Suicide rates have surged by 35% over the past two decades, underscoring the urgent need for a robust, non-law enforcement mental health crisis response. In 2020, the federal government took an important step by passing the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, establishing 988 as the new nationwide mental health emergency line. AB 988 implements that system here in California, connecting people in crisis to 24/7 mental health call centers staffed by trained professionals, who can deploy mobile crisis teams and stabilization services instead of police.
AB 988 ensures that Californians in distress receive compassionate, appropriate support from those equipped to help, when they need it most.
Learn more about the Miles Hall Lifeline Act
Moving Forward Together
Mental illness is a health condition, not a crime. Our children deserve protection, support, and access to appropriate resources during their most vulnerable moments. I remain committed to fighting for policies that safeguard our youth's mental wellbeing and provide families with the tools they need to navigate these challenging times.
Join me in this critical work as we build a safer, more supportive future for California's young people.
Warmly,
Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan
Resources
State
MentalHealth.CA.gov
- California’s official mental health portal offering free support, wellness tools, and emotional assistance for all residents. It connects users to programs like CalHOPE, BrightLife Kids, and Friendship Line California, catering to various age groups and needs.
CalHOPE
- A statewide initiative providing 24/7, free, and confidential emotional support through its Warm Line. CalHOPE offers resources to help individuals cope with stress, anxiety, and other challenges, especially during times of crisis
Medi-Cal Mental Health Services
- California's Medicaid program offers mental health services to eligible individuals, including therapy, counseling, and psychiatric care. Services are accessed through county mental health plans.
Federal
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- A free, confidential 24/7 service for individuals in emotional distress or experiencing a mental health crisis. Call or text 988 to connect with trained counselors. The service is available nationwide and offers support in multiple languages.
SAMHSA’s National Helpline
- A 24/7, confidential helpline (1-800-662-HELP) providing treatment referrals and information for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. Services are available in English and Spanish.
FindTreatment.gov
- A confidential and anonymous resource for locating mental health and substance use disorder treatment facilities across the United States. Users can search by location, treatment type, and payment options.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- The lead federal agency for research on mental disorders, NIMH provides information on mental health topics, statistics, clinical trials, and educational materials. Resources are available f
