State highways: overpasses: pilot program: suicide prevention.

Senator Reyes, joined by Senators Ochoa Bogh and Pérez, proposes establishing a pilot program requiring the California Department of Transportation to install suicide deterrents on ten freeway overpasses in San Bernardino County. The deterrents would include both suicide prevention signage and physical barriers designed to prevent falls or intentional jumping onto vehicles passing below.

The Department would select overpasses for the program based on documented suicide rates over the past 20 years, prioritizing locations with the highest incidence. This builds upon existing requirements for the Department to install screening that prevents objects from being dropped onto vehicles from overpasses.

The pilot program would operate within the Department's current budget, requiring no additional state appropriations. While the legislation does not specify a timeline for implementation or evaluation metrics, it mandates that the Department develop and manage the program's installation and maintenance requirements.