Brittany Pettersen (D-CO)
Public Transit Mental Health Awareness Act
A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 13 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is called the "Public Transit Mental Health Awareness Act." It would require people or groups receiving assistance under chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, to show suicide prevention hotline information on public transportation they own or operate. This information must be in a spot where passengers can see it. The notice must state that the hotline is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day. Recipients can meet this by placing the info on all vehicles or in all transit facilities.
Yes· 3 of 23
- Scored +5
Would people in cities be better off under this?
Urban residents are the primary users of public transportation systems where these notices will appear.
- Scored +5
Does this make mental health care easier to get?
Increases visibility and awareness of the free 24-hour suicide prevention hotline for transit passengers.
- Scored +4
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
Low-income individuals rely more heavily on public transit and may have less access to private mental health services.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Access to help: Passengers on public transportation will have visible information about a free, confidential, 24-hour suicide prevention hotline, as required in Section 2(w)(1).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts for individuals or groups are explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people in cities be better off under this? — Urban residents are the primary users of public transportation systems where these notices will appear. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Low-income individuals rely more heavily on public transit and may have less access to private mental health services. Would students be better off under this? — Students are frequent public transit users and a key demographic for mental health awareness. Would LGBTQ people be better off under this? — LGBTQ+ individuals experience higher rates of mental health crises and may use public transit. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Young adults are a high-risk group for mental health issues and frequent users of public transit. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — Beneficial for populations with high public transit ridership rates. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — Beneficial for populations with high public transit ridership rates. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Beneficial for populations with high public transit ridership rates. Would immigrants be better off under this? — Beneficial for immigrant populations who often rely on public transit. Would men be better off under this? — Beneficial for all transit users. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Provides accessible mental health resources for all adult transit users. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Provides helpful resource information to transit users. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — Beneficial for transit users with disabilities who may face additional mental health challenges. Would retired people be better off under this? — Beneficial for retirees using public transit services. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — Provides accessible mental health resources for senior transit users. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — Provides visibility for suicide prevention resources which are critical for veterans. Would white Americans be better off under this? — Beneficial for all transit users regardless of race. Would women be better off under this? — Beneficial for all transit users. Would high-income households be better off under this? — Provides resource information, though these groups are less likely to rely on public transit.
- Healthcare
- Does this make mental health care easier to get? — Increases visibility and awareness of the free 24-hour suicide prevention hotline for transit passengers. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Provides immediate access to mental health crisis resources via public transit signage.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this improve buses, trains and other public transport? — Adds a public health service component to the public transportation experience.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — Imposes a new federal requirement on recipients of federal transit assistance.
- 10/6/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/14/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/1/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 11 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Danny DavisDemocrat · Illinois
Madeleine DeanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Brian FitzpatrickRepublican · Pennsylvania
Henry JohnsonDemocrat · Georgia
Michael LawlerRepublican · New York
Seth MoultonDemocrat · Massachusetts
Eleanor NortonDemocrat · District of Columbia
Deborah RossDemocrat · North Carolina
Mary Gay ScanlonDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Melanie StansburyDemocrat · New Mexico
Rashida TlaibDemocrat · Michigan
Shri ThanedarDemocrat · Michigan
Bonnie Watson ColemanDemocrat · New Jersey