An Inland Empire state legislator is trying to make it harder for Californians to kill themselves on bridges.

In February, Assemblymember James Ramos, D-San Bernardino, introduced Assembly Bill 440, which would require the state to identify the state-controlled bridges and roadways with the most suicides and the most attempted suicides and report back to the Legislature on potential strategies to reduce deaths by the end of 2027.

“We need to be proactive to ensure we provide at-risk individuals with the help they need,” Ramos is quoted as saying in a news release issued by his office. “Creating strategies that build in time to reconsider fatal choices can save lives and prevent long lasting traumatic pain in families and communities.”

The bill passed the Assembly on a 79-0 vote June 2 and moved on to the state Senate.

On Thursday, June 26, the bill advanced out of the Senate’s Committee on Health by an 11-0 vote.

AB 440 is headed next to the state Senate’s Appropriations Committee.

Ramos’ bill comes after a fall in which two Rancho Cucamonga teenagers killed themselves on the 210 Freeway at the Haven Avenue overpass, in mid- and late September.

Suicide is a not a new subject for Ramos to tackle. He helped create the state’s Office of Suicide Prevention in 2020 and has continued to advocate for suicide prevention, especially in the Native American community, since then.

According to the Assembly Committee on Health’s analysis of AB 440, suicide is the No. 1 cause of violent death and self-harm is the third leading cause of injury-related visits to emergency rooms.

How to get help

If you or someone you know is considering suicide or self-harm, mental health resources are available, including free and low-cost services. They include:

• The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988, or visit SuicidePreventionLifeline.org
• Crisis Text Line: CrisisTextLine.org
• Know the Signs: SuicideIsPreventable.org
• The Suicide Prevention Resource Center’s Resources and Programs page: SPRC.org/resources-programs
• The Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net
• The National Council for Behavioral Health’s Find a Behavioral Health Provider page: TheNationalCouncil.org/providers/?region=CA
• Born This Way Foundation’s Get Help Now page: BornThisWay.foundation/get-help-now
• Hayden’s Corner: HaydensCorner.org

More on the Legislature, suicides

• 1 in 5 California high schoolers who responded to a state survey say they have considered suicide, analysis shows
• Here’s what 4 California school districts did to reduce the number of students contemplating suicide
• Local legislators celebrate new Office of Suicide Prevention, stress need for more efforts
• California needs to do more to prevent suicide among Native Americans, tribal leaders say
• Rancho Cucamonga mourns student after her death on 210 Freeway
• Second Rancho Cucamonga teen suicide spurs more conversations around ‘love’ and ‘support’
• Does Rancho Cucamonga have a teen suicide problem?
• How many bills did California legislators get signed into law in Sacramento?
• Does Rancho Cucamonga have a teen suicide problem?