Bills to help prevent suicide at colleges approved by panel

Suicide-prevention legislation inspired by a former northern New Jersey track star and Ivy League student who took her own life in January 2014 has been advanced by a state Senate committee.
The state Senate Higher Education Committee on Thursday advanced the Madison Holleran Suicide Prevention Act and the Madison Holleran Proper Reporting Act.
The first bill would require New Jersey higher-education institutions to have a professional with mental health training available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to focus on reducing student suicides.
The second bill requires institutions to provide information online concerning the number of students who committed suicide or attempted suicide in the prior academic year.
Holleran was a 19-year-old freshman at the University of Pennsylvania when she took her own life.