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Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that directs the state to include young men and boys in its suicide prevention efforts.
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Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1956, which was sponsored by Assemblymember Avelino Valencia, D-Anaheim, into law Friday.
The bill requires the California Department of Health’s Office of Suicide Prevention to add boys and men to its existing anti-suicide efforts. Currently, the office focuses on vulnerable populations like LGBTQ+ people, Indigenous youth, seniors, and veterans.
“As a former coach and educator, I saw up close the difference it makes when a young man has someone in his corner, and I saw what happens when he does not,” Valencia said in a statement. “I appreciate Governor Newsom for signing AB 1956 into law and I look forward to continuing this critical work.”
The bill requires the office to report its work reaching vulnerable men to the Legislature by July 1, 2028.
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Newsom’s office cited a March 2026 analysis from the California Department of Public Health to “underscore the urgency” of the legislation. From 2019 to 2023, the suicide rate among California boys ages 10 to 19 was twice the rate among girls of the same age. And nearly 1 in 4 young men report having no close friends.
He issued an executive order last year recognizing the male loneliness crisis and ordering the state to prioritize men and boys’ mental health.
“Too many boys and men are struggling in silence. We have to meet young people where they are, break down the stigma around asking for help, and make sure they have the relationships, support, and opportunities they need to thrive,” he said in a signing statement. “AB 1956 builds on the work we’ve already begun to make sure boys and young men are seen, supported, and connected before a crisis becomes a tragedy.”
Another suicide prevention measure is still moving through the Legislature. AB 1985 would make training on student mental health mandatory for all coaches and trainers at public and private higher education institutions across the state.
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