I am thrilled that House Bill 90, which will require annual suicide prevention training for public school employees, passed in the Senate on Wednesday, May 13.

I worked hard with House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst to get this critically important legislation to Gov. Markell’s desk.

The legislation strengthens the safety net for at-risk youth by requiring educators and administrators to learn how to identify warning signs. It also requires schools to establish suicide prevention and response committees, as well as craft suicide prevention policies that include procedures for confidential and anonymous reporting of at-risk behaviors. Those components must be in place by the time the 2016 school year begins.

The legislation was announced last month at a press conference at the Delaware City Community Center, which has a mentorship program for at-risk teenagers in the Police Athletic League’s Suicide and Violence Education (SAVE) program.

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among youth between the ages of 10 and 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A survey of American high school students found that 16 percent had considered suicide in the last year, 13 percent made plans to end their own lives and 8 percent attempted to do so.

We owe it to our kids to make sure the right people and processes are in place in our schools, so it’s more likely our kids get the help they need, when they need it.