[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2661 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2661
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to designate 9-8-8 as the
universal telephone number for the purpose of the national suicide
prevention and mental health crisis hotline system operating through
the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and through the Veterans
Crisis Line, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 22, 2019
Mr. Gardner (for himself, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Moran, and Mr. Reed)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to designate 9-8-8 as the
universal telephone number for the purpose of the national suicide
prevention and mental health crisis hotline system operating through
the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and through the Veterans
Crisis Line, and for other purposes.
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 ``National Suicide Hotline Designation
Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) According to the American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention, on average, there are 129 suicides per day in the
United States.
(2) To prevent future suicides, it is critical to
transition the cumbersome, existing 10-digit National Suicide
Hotline to a universal, easy-to-remember, 3-digit phone number
and connect people in crisis with life-saving resources.
(3) It is essential that people in the United States have
access to a 3-digit national suicide hotline across all
geographic locations.
(4) The designated suicide hotline number will need to be
both familiar and recognizable to all people in the United
States.
SEC. 3. UNIVERSAL TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION AND
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS HOTLINE SYSTEM.
(a) In General.--Section 251(e) of the Communications Act of 1934
(47 U.S.C. 251(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(4) Universal telephone number for national suicide
prevention and mental health crisis hotline system.--9-8-8 is
designated as the universal telephone number within the United
States for the purpose of the national suicide prevention and
mental health crisis hotline system operating through the
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline maintained by the
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use under
section 520E-3 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
290bb-36c) and through the Veterans Crisis Line maintained by
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 1720F(h) of
title 38, United States Code.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall
take effect on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act.
(c) Required Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and
Substance Use and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly
submit a report that details the resources necessary to make the use of
9-8-8, as designated under paragraph (4) of section 251(e) of the
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 251(e)), as added by subsection
(a) of this section, operational and effective across the United States
to--
(1) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
of the Senate;
(2) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(3) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives; and
(4) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
SEC. 4. STATE AUTHORITY OVER FEES.
(a) Authority.--
(1) In general.--Nothing in this Act, any amendment made by
this Act, the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et
seq.), or any Commission regulation or order may prevent the
imposition and collection of a fee or charge applicable to a
commercial mobile service or an IP-enabled voice service
specifically designated by a State, a political subdivision of
a State, an Indian Tribe, or village or regional corporation
serving a region established pursuant to the Alaska Native
Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) for the support
or implementation of 9-8-8 services, if the fee or charge is
held in a sequestered account to be obligated or expended only
in support of 9-8-8 services, or enhancements of such services,
as specified in the provision of State or local law adopting
the fee or charge.
(2) Limit on fee or charge.--For each class of subscribers
to IP-enabled voice services, the fee or charge may not exceed
the amount of any such fee or charge applicable to the same
class of subscribers to telecommunications services.
(b) Fee Accountability Report.--To ensure efficiency, transparency,
and accountability in the collection and expenditure of a fee or charge
for the support or implementation of 9-8-8 services, not later than 2
years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually
thereafter, the Commission shall submit to the Committees on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation and Appropriations of the Senate and the
Committees on Energy and Commerce and Appropriations of the House of
Representatives a report that--
(1) details the status in each State of the collection and
distribution of such fees or charges; and
(2) includes findings on the amount of revenues obligated
or expended by each State or political subdivision thereof for
any purpose other than the purpose for which any such fees or
charges are specified.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Commercial mobile service.--The term ``commercial
mobile service'' has the meaning given that term under section
332(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 332(d)).
(2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal
Communications Commission.
(3) IP-enabled voice service.--The term ``IP-enabled voice
service'' shall include--
(A) an interconnected VoIP service, as defined in
section 9.3 of the title 47 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, or any successor thereto; and
(B) a one-way interconnected VoIP service.
(4) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given that
term in section 7 of the Wireless Communications and Public
Safety Act of 1999 (47 U.S.C. 615b).
(5) Telecommunications service.--The term
``telecommunications service'' has the meaning given that term
in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153).
SEC. 5. LOCATION IDENTIFICATION REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall
submit to the appropriate committees a report that examines the
feasibility and cost of including an automatic dispatchable location
that would be conveyed with a 9-8-8 call, regardless of the
technological platform used and including with calls from multi-line
telephone systems (as defined in section 6502 of the Middle Class Tax
Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1471)).
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate committees.--The term ``appropriate
committees'' means the following:
(A) The Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate.
(B) The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate.
(C) The Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives.
(2) Dispatchable location.--The term ``dispatchable
location'' means the street address of the calling party and
additional information such as room number, floor number, or
similar information necessary to adequately identify the
location of the calling party.
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