[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1015 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 256
115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1015

     To require the Federal Communications Commission to study the 
 feasibility of designating a simple, easy-to-remember dialing code to 
  be used for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis 
                            hotline system.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 3, 2017

  Mr. Hatch (for himself, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Udall, Mr. 
   Heller, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Schatz, and Mrs. Shaheen) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Commerce, Science, and Transportation

                            October 31, 2017

                Reported by Mr. Thune, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To require the Federal Communications Commission to study the 
 feasibility of designating a simple, easy-to-remember dialing code to 
  be used for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis 
                            hotline system.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``National Suicide Hotline 
Improvement Act of 2017''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Congress finds the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) According to the National Center for Health 
        Statistics, suicide rates in the United States have surged to 
        their highest levels in nearly 30 years.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) The overall suicide rate rose by 24 percent 
        from 1999 to 2014.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-
        800-273-TALK [8255]), created under the leadership of the 
        Center for Mental Health Services of the Substance Abuse and 
        Mental Health Services Administration (commonly known as 
        ``SAMHSA''), is a network of 161 crisis centers that provide a 
        toll-free hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to anyone 
        experiencing a mental health or suicidal emergency or 
        crisis.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) In 1967, the President's Commission on Law 
        Enforcement and Administration of Justice recommended the 
        creation of a single telephone number that could be used 
        nationwide for reporting emergencies.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) In 1968, the Federal Communications Commission 
        agreed upon the number 9-1-1, one of eight N11 dialing codes, 
        as a simple, easy-to-remember telephone number to be the 
        dedicated number for reporting emergencies, and 9-1-1 became 
        the national emergency number for individuals in the United 
        States to access police, fire, and ambulance 
        services.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Based on the success of the 9-1-1 nationwide 
        emergency number, a study by the Federal Communications 
        Commission regarding the use of a simple, easy-to-remember 
        dedicated 3-digit dialing code for a suicide prevention and 
        mental health crisis hotline system would be beneficial in the 
        prevention of suicide nationwide.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In this Act--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the term ``Assistant Secretary'' means the 
        Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance 
        Use;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the term ``covered dialing code'' means a 
        simple, easy-to-remember, 3-digit dialing code; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) the term ``N11 dialing code'' means an 
        abbreviated dialing code consisting of 3 digits, of which--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the first digit may be any digit other 
                than ``1'' or ``0''; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) each of the last 2 digits is 
                ``1''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. FCC STUDY AND REPORT.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Study.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--The Commission, in coordination 
        with the Assistant Secretary, shall conduct a study that--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) examines the feasibility of 
                designating an N11 dialing code or other covered 
                dialing code to be used for a national suicide 
                prevention and mental health crisis hotline system; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) analyzes the effectiveness of the 
                current National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, including 
                how well the lifeline is working to address the needs 
                of veterans.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Requirements.--In conducting the study under 
        paragraph (1), the Commission shall--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) request that the Assistant Secretary 
                study and report to the Commission on the potential 
                impact of the designation of an N11 dialing code, or 
                other covered dialing code, for a suicide prevention 
                and mental health crisis hotline system on--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) suicide prevention;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) crisis services;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) the National Suicide 
                        Prevention Lifeline; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) the Veterans Crisis 
                        Line;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) consider--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) each of the N11 dialing codes, 
                        including the codes that are used for other 
                        purposes; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) other covered dialing 
                        codes;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) consult with the North American 
                Numbering Council; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) consult with the Secretary of Veterans 
                Affairs with respect to how well the current National 
                Suicide Prevention Lifeline is working to address the 
                needs of veterans.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to Congress a report 
on the study conducted under subsection (a) that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) recommends a particular N11 dialing code or 
        other covered dialing code to be used for a national suicide 
        prevention and mental health crisis hotline system;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) outlines the logistics of designating such a 
        dialing code;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) estimates the costs associated with 
        designating such a dialing code, including--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the costs incurred by service 
                providers, including--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) translation changes in the 
                        network; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) cell site analysis and 
                        reprogramming by wireless carriers; 
                        and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the costs incurred by States and 
                localities;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) provides legislative recommendations for 
        designating such a dialing code;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) provides a cost-benefit analysis comparing the 
        recommended dialing code with the current National Suicide 
        Prevention Lifeline; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) makes other recommendations for improving the 
        national suicide prevention lifeline system generally, which 
        may include--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) increased funding;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) increased public education and 
                awareness; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) improved infrastructure and 
                operations.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Suicide Hotline Improvement 
Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission;
            (2) the term ``covered dialing code'' means a simple, easy-
        to-remember, 3-digit dialing code; and
            (3) the term ``N11 dialing code'' means an abbreviated 
        dialing code consisting of 3 digits, of which--
                    (A) the first digit may be any digit other than 
                ``1'' or ``0''; and
                    (B) each of the last 2 digits is ``1''.

SEC. 3. STUDIES AND REPORTS.

    (a) Primary Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission, in coordination with the 
        Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall conduct a study that--
                    (A) examines the feasibility of designating an N11 
                dialing code or other covered dialing code to be used 
                for a national suicide prevention and mental health 
                crisis hotline system; and
                    (B) analyzes the effectiveness of the National 
                Suicide Prevention Lifeline as of the date on which the 
                study is initiated, including how well the lifeline is 
                working to address the needs of veterans.
            (2) Requirements.--
                    (A) Commission.--In conducting the study under 
                paragraph (1), the Commission shall--
                            (i) consider--
                                    (I) each of the N11 dialing codes, 
                                including the codes that are used for 
                                other purposes; and
                                    (II) other covered dialing codes;
                            (ii) consult with the North American 
                        Numbering Council; and
                            (iii) review the information provided by 
                        the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and 
                        Substance Use and the Secretary of Veterans 
                        Affairs under subparagraphs (B) and (C), 
                        respectively, of this paragraph.
                    (B) SAMHSA study and report to assist commission.--
                To assist the Commission in conducting the study under 
                paragraph (1), the Assistant Secretary for Mental 
                Health and Substance Use shall analyze and, not later 
                than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
                report to the Commission on--
                            (i) the potential impact of the designation 
                        of an N11 dialing code, or other covered 
                        dialing code, for a suicide prevention and 
                        mental health crisis hotline system on--
                                    (I) suicide prevention;
                                    (II) crisis services; and
                                    (III) other suicide prevention and 
                                mental health crisis hotlines, 
                                including--
                                            (aa) the National Suicide 
                                        Prevention Lifeline; and
                                            (bb) the Veterans Crisis 
                                        Line; and
                            (ii) possible recommendations for improving 
                        the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 
                        generally, which may include--
                                    (I) increased public education and 
                                awareness; and
                                    (II) improved infrastructure and 
                                operations.
                    (C) VA study and report to assist commission.--To 
                assist the Commission in conducting the study under 
                paragraph (1), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
                study and, not later than 180 days after the date of 
                enactment of this Act, report to the Commission on how 
                well the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the 
                Veterans Crisis Line, as in effect on the date on which 
                the study is initiated, is working to address the needs 
                of veterans.
    (b) Primary Commission Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Commission, in coordination with the 
        Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall submit a report on the 
        study conducted under subsection (a) that recommends whether a 
        particular N11 dialing code or other covered dialing code 
        should be used for a national suicide prevention and mental 
        health crisis hotline system to--
                    (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation of the Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                Pensions of the Senate; and
                    (C) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
                House of Representatives.
            (2) Additional contents.--If the report submitted by the 
        Commission under paragraph (1) recommends that a dialing code 
        should be used, the report shall also--
                    (A) outline the logistics of designating such a 
                dialing code;
                    (B) estimate the costs associated with designating 
                such a dialing code, including--
                            (i) the costs incurred by service 
                        providers, including--
                                    (I) translation changes in the 
                                network; and
                                    (II) cell site analysis and 
                                reprogramming by wireless carriers; and
                            (ii) the costs incurred by States and 
                        localities;
                    (C) provide recommendations for designating such a 
                dialing code;
                    (D) provide a cost-benefit analysis comparing the 
                recommended dialing code with the National Suicide 
                Prevention Lifeline, as in effect on the date on which 
                the report is submitted; and
                    (E) make other recommendations, as appropriate, for 
                improving the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 
                generally, which may include--
                            (i) increased public education and 
                        awareness; and
                            (ii) improved infrastructure and 
                        operations.
                                                       Calendar No. 256

115th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                S. 1015

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

     To require the Federal Communications Commission to study the 
 feasibility of designating a simple, easy-to-remember dialing code to 
  be used for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis 
                            hotline system.

_______________________________________________________________________

                            October 31, 2017

                       Reported with an amendment