State bridges and overpasses: suicide prevention.

Senator Reyes and his colleagues frame a measure to add a non-binding directive that directs Caltrans to weave suicide deterrence considerations into the state’s guidance for bridges and overpasses, in collaboration with the State Department of Public Health and impacted local governments. The core change is to require an update to guidance documents that would inform future decisions about safety features on state highway structures, rather than mandating new construction or regulatory standards.

Beginning on or before July 1, 2028, Caltrans must engage in consultation with the Public Health department and collaborate with affected local governments to incorporate suicide deterrent considerations into applicable guidance documents. These considerations may include guidance for countermeasures that could deter suicide attempts on state bridges and overpasses, including the design, placement, and modification of barriers, fencing, and other infrastructure. The department determines what is appropriate for inclusion in the updated guidance.

The measure explicitly states that incorporating these considerations into guidance does not impose a mandatory duty under the relevant statutory framework, and it does not create a binding obligation enforceable as a statutory duty. There is no appropriation attached to the measure, though the fiscal committee is designated to review the proposal. The existing requirement to install screening on state freeway overpasses to prevent objects from being dropped or thrown remains in place, and the new directive adds a parallel, guidance-oriented framework rather than altering that requirement.

Implementation is framed around advisory updates rather than new regulatory mandates, with an emphasis on interagency consultation and collaboration with local governments. The proposal envisions a process to update guidance documents without specifying a formal rulemaking path, public comment process, or funding mechanism. In this context, the measure positions suicide deterrence as a consideration within guidance rather than a direct program or project obligation, leaving actual design choices and deployment to future agency decisions and local alignment with updated guidance.