February 18th 2026 |
State lawmakers decline to consider a bill requiring suicide-prevention education in schools.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Wyoming ranks third in the nation for suicide deaths, with 26.3 suicides for every 100,000 residents, placing the state behind only Montana and Alaska. The organization’s website lists suicide as the eighth most common cause of death in Wyoming.
To help address the high suicide rate in Wyoming, Representative Steve Harshman introduced House Bill 40 in the Wyoming House of Representatives on February 10th. If passed, the measure would have required school districts to provide suicide prevention education to students. Teachers and school staff are already required to receive at least eight hours of suicide prevention training every four school years.
Representative Harshman explained that when he began teaching 40 years ago, he was trained never to discuss suicide with students.
However, despite recent prevention efforts, including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline and state‑mandated teacher training, young men are still dying by suicide at a higher‑than‑average rate.
The Wyoming Department of Health reported that 80 percent of suicides involve men, and that 64 percent of all self‑inflicted deaths in the state involved a firearm.
Just last month, 22‑year‑old Rawlins native Aiden Hall died by suicide while detained in a Cheyenne police cruiser. Last October, 16‑year‑old Saratoga High School football player Easton Mason took his life following an alleged sextortion incident. And in 2023, 41‑year‑old Saratoga Police Officer Glen Casner ended his life. All three deaths involved a firearm.
Speaking on the floor, Representative Harshman said House Bill 40 reinforced the state’s existing suicide‑prevention mandates by teaching students how to discuss the topic with their peers.
Representative Harshman added that roughly 30 percent of school districts already have adequate suicide‑prevention measures in place.
Representative Jayme Lien spoke against House Bill 40, saying every student, including those who are home-schooled, already receives sufficient suicide‑prevention education through existing state mandates.
Representative Karlee Provenza was also opposed to the bill. The Albany County Democrat said suicide-prevention education is the responsibility of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, not the legislature.
Representative Harshman said the state already mandates education against drug and alcohol abuse, bullying, and poor habits. The Natrona County Republican said House Bill 40 is a way for lawmakers to ensure these requirements are being taught to students.
As a non‑budget bill considered during a budget year, House Bill 40 required two‑thirds of the chamber’s votes to pass. However, the measure fell short, failing on a vote of 31 to 30.
