Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Wednesday, July 15, that will give every Palo Alto student, teacher, and parent free access to online suicide prevention training, permanently extending a program that reached more than 20,000 California students and staff during a four-year pilot.
Assembly Bill 2003, authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), passed the Legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support. The law takes effect immediately, though Berman's office says the training platform will launch in spring 2027.
Why it matters in Palo Alto
The legislation hits close to home. Berman has represented Palo Alto in the state Legislature for 10 years and has called the city his hometown. When he introduced AB 2003 in February 2026, he said Palo Alto's losses motivated the bill.
Palo Alto is experiencing what local health officials and researchers have characterized as its third youth suicide cluster, according to Palo Alto Online reporting. In 2025, eight young people in the city died by suicide. Santa Clara County Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga said during June 2026 budget hearings that seven of the eight were from Asian American or Pacific Islander populations, and at least one identified as transgender.
Separately, 11 youth suicide deaths have occurred in Palo Alto since 2018, with eight of those taking place on railroad crossings, according to a Palo Alto Online investigation published June 30.
"Too many communities all across California, including ones I represent, have felt the devastation and grief of youth suicide," Berman said upon the bill's signing.
What the law does
AB 2003 makes free online suicide prevention training available to all California students age 13 and older, all K-12 teachers and administrators, and families. It also requires the state to compile suicide risk screening data statewide to inform prevention planning and targeted support.
The program builds on a pilot Berman secured $1.7 million in state funding for in 2018. That pilot ran from June 2020 to December 2024 and produced striking results, according to Berman's office: 98% of staff and 95% of students who completed the training reported feeling confident in their ability to help someone considering suicide. About one in four participants said they already had someone in mind they could help.
Local infrastructure already in place
Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) already operates wellness centers at every secondary campus, staffed with therapists and school psychologists, and provides students free 24/7 access to the Uwill teletherapy platform. The city signed a two-year, $149,000 contract with The Jed Foundation in September 2025 to strengthen prevention efforts, and PAUSD signed its own contract with JED to bolster parent education and update school policies.
AB 2003 adds a statewide layer to those local investments. Al Rowlett, chair of the state Commission for Behavioral Health, said in the signing announcement that the commission will partner with Berman and the California Youth Empowerment Network to develop the training.
No specific enrollment process for PAUSD families has been announced. The training is expected to be available statewide in spring 2027, according to Berman's office.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (dial 988) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
