In a pivotal meeting on August 11, 2025, the Louisiana Legislature's House Suicide Prevention Task Force discussed critical findings from HCR 84, focusing on the alarming lack of mandated suicide data collection on college campuses. The report, which analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), highlighted significant disparities in suicide rates among different genders, ages, and races within the college population aged 17 to 25.

Charmaine Williams and Vanessa Green Spade from Southern University's Nelson Mandela College of Government and Social Sciences led the discussion, emphasizing the urgent need for targeted strategies to address these disparities. A key recommendation from the report is the development of sharing protocols and the establishment of legislation that would require universities to collect and report suicide data. Currently, there is no law mandating such data collection, leaving a significant gap in understanding and addressing student mental health issues.

The task force revealed that only eight universities currently collect suicide data, with Penn State being the only institution willing to share its findings. This limited data collection raises concerns about the overall awareness and response to mental health crises on campuses.

The meeting underscored the necessity for legislative action to ensure that all colleges and universities are held accountable for reporting suicide incidents. By implementing these measures, the task force aims to enhance support systems for students and ultimately reduce suicide rates within this vulnerable population. The discussions from this meeting will likely inform future legislative efforts to improve mental health resources and data transparency in Louisiana's higher education institutions.