[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2003 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2003

To require the Federal Communications Commission to designate a 3-digit 
                  dialing code for veterans in crisis.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 27, 2019

  Mr. Manchin (for himself, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Tester, Mr. Cramer, Mr. 
Blumenthal, and Mr. Sullivan) introduced the following bill; which was 
  read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                             Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Federal Communications Commission to designate a 3-digit 
                  dialing code for veterans in crisis.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Suicide Prevention by Eliminating 
Excessive Digits Act of 2019'' or the ``SPEED Act''.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF 3-DIGIT DIALING CODE FOR VETERANS IN CRISIS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section--
            (1) the term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission; and
            (2) the term ``covered dialing code'' means a simple, easy-
        to-remember, 3-digit dialing code.
    (b) Designation.--As soon as practicable after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Commission, in consultation with the 
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall designate a covered dialing code 
that veterans may use to reach a national suicide prevention and mental 
health crisis hotline system, which system may be--
            (1) the Veterans Crisis Line;
            (2) the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline; or
            (3) another hotline.
    (c) Incorporation of Study Findings.--
            (1) In general.--In designating a covered dialing code 
        under subsection (b), the Commission shall incorporate the 
        findings of the study conducted under section 3(a) of the 
        National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2018 (Public Law 
        115-233; 132 Stat. 2424).
            (2) Prioritizing implementation speed.--Nothing in 
        paragraph (1) shall be construed to authorize the Commission to 
        delay the designation of a covered dialing code under 
        subsection (b) until after the Commission submits the report 
        under section 3(b) of the National Suicide Hotline Improvement 
        Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-233; 132 Stat. 2424).
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