STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – State Representative Pamela Carter announced today that House Bill 2665, Cade’s Law: If You See Something Say Something, has been signed into law, giving prosecutors clear authority to charge adults who use targeted online messages to advise or encourage a minor to die by suicide, knowing the minor intends to do so.

Teen suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young people, and social media has created new ways to target kids in crisis. Too often, warning signs show up in real time in posts, messages, and chat rooms. Cade’s Law is designed to stop the next tragedy by making it clear that an adult who pushes a child toward suicide through directed communication can be charged with manslaughter.

Arizona law already punished those who provide the physical means another person uses to die by suicide. Cade’s Law closes a dangerous loophole by extending accountability to the adult who uses words through direct messages, posts, or other targeted content aimed at a specific minor. The law applies to directed communication that is specifically addressed to, or reasonably understood to be directed at, the minor who dies by suicide, including content that identifies or tags the minor.

The legislation is named in honor of 16-year-old Cade Keller of Arizona.

“Teen suicide is a crisis, and we cannot ignore it,” said Representative Pamela Carter. “Cade Keller was only 16. He loved welding and had plans to attend Mesa Community College. Then his life was cut short. Cade posted online that he planned to take his life. People saw it. No one called 911. No one got an adult. Cade died. That is the nightmare every parent fears, and it is happening to too many families. Cade’s Law makes this a crime. If you knowingly use direct messages to advise or encourage a minor to die by suicide, you will be prosecuted. If you see warning signs, do not wait. Make the call. Get help. Step in.”

Representative Carter thanked the Keller family for their strength and advocacy and urged parents, students, educators, and community members to act immediately when a teen shows signs of self-harm or suicidal intent. Call 911 or tell a trusted adult.

Pamela Carter is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 4 in Phoenix. Follow her on X at @PamelaCarter888.