The Sacramento Bee, November 2025
California has many iconic bridges: San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, San Diego’s Coronado Bridge and the Foresthill Bridge in Placer County, to name a few. Sadly, these beautiful structures see too many suicides and suicide attempts every year, many of which could be prevented with simple measures such as netting or safety rails.
In October, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 440, authored by Assemblymember James C. Ramos, D-San Bernardino, and sponsored by Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services. The bill will require the California Department of Transportation to identify best practices for the implementation of suicide countermeasures to deter attempts on bridges and overpasses by July 1, 2028.
