By Los Angeles County Politics (LACP)
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors yesterday moved forward on efforts to reinstate the connection from 988—the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline—to a specialized LGBTQ+ youth support line (otherwise known as the “Press 3” option) that was eliminated in July by the Trump Administration.
Supervisors Janice Hahn and Lindsey P. Horvath co-authored the motions. Before the meeting, Assemblymember Mark González, (D-Downtown Los Angeles, Boyle Heights) joined them in a press conference concerning the measure.
Gonzalez plans to introduce legislation during the upcoming legislative cycle that would fund and reinstate a statewide specialized 988 subnetwork for LGBTQ+ youth across California.
“The Press 3 option was a lifeline, and losing it has been devastating. It wasn’t just a policy change—it was a message to LGBTQ+ young people that their needs didn’t matter,” said Hahn. “But LA County will not turn its back on our LGBTQ+ young people. Not now, not ever. So we are going to work at every level—local, state, and federal—to get this lifeline restored and protected for good.”
In July, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) ended federal funding for specialized services that allowed 988 callers to be connected to LGBTQ+ youth counseling.
Previously, callers could press 3 after dialing 988 to get routed to a subnetwork of specialized call centers that provided over-the-phone counseling specifically for LGBTQ+ youth. In the year before this service was terminated, over 14% of the 5.1 million 988 callers chose the Press 3 option.
“Eliminating the ‘Press 3’ option on the 988 Lifeline is a dangerous decision, with real consequences for LGBTQ+ youth, who rely on trained, affirming counselors in their darkest moments,” said Horvath. “Young people in our community face disproportionate challenges; taking away this critical resource is unacceptable. We must restore this lifesaving support and make clear that every young person deserves to be heard, supported, and safe.
González said lives are on the line right now, and every day lawmakers wait, more LGBTQ+ youth are pushed into crisis.
“If we stand by, thousands could be lost to suicide. Before this reckless cut, 1.5 million contacts were made to Press 3. That doesn’t happen by accident — that happens because LGBTQ+ youth trust this lifeline and rely on it in their darkest moments,” said González. ”We will step up, we will protect them, and we will make sure that life-saving help is always just four digits away.”
On the federal level, both chambers of Congress introduced measures to restore the hotline. These bipartisan bills, known collectively as the 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act of 2025, would protect specialized mental health services for LGBTQ+ youth by codifying the “Press 3” option into law and establishing dedicated resources to reinstate, operate, and maintain this service.
