[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6763 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6763

    To establish a multi-stakeholder advisory committee tasked with 
      providing detailed recommendations to address challenges to 
transmitting geolocation information with calls to the 988 Suicide and 
                Crisis Lifeline, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 13, 2023

Mr. Molinaro (for himself and Mr. Tonko) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish a multi-stakeholder advisory committee tasked with 
      providing detailed recommendations to address challenges to 
transmitting geolocation information with calls to the 988 Suicide and 
                Crisis Lifeline, 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 ``988 Lifeline Location Improvement 
Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) 911 system service provider.--The term ``911 system 
        service provider'' has the meaning given the term ``covered 911 
        service provider'' in section 9.19(a)(4)(i) of title 47, Code 
        of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.
            (2) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (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.
            (3) Committee.--The term ``committee'' means the advisory 
        committee established under section 3.
            (4) Community based mental health organization.--The term 
        ``community based mental health organization'' means an 
        organization that serves individuals with mental health 
        conditions and the families of those individuals in a community 
        setting.
            (5) Dispatchable location.--The term ``dispatchable 
        location'' has the meaning given that term in section 9.3 of 
        title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor 
        regulation.
            (6) Handset manufacturer.--The term ``handset 
        manufacturer'' means a manufacturer of cellular phones.
            (7) Local crisis center.--The term ``local crisis center'' 
        means a call center intended to receive calls from the 988 
        Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and the Veterans Crisis Line.
            (8) Local government.--The term ``local government'' means 
        the government of any political subdivision of a State.
            (9) Low population state.--The term ``low population 
        State'' means a State that has no urbanized areas with a 
        population greater than 250,000, as reported in the decennial 
        census.
            (10) Mental health services organization.--The term 
        ``mental health services organization'' means an organization 
        or association that represents providers of mental health 
        crisis services or crisis respite services.
            (11) Public safety answering point.--The term ``public 
        safety answering point'' has the meaning given that term in 
        section 9.3 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any 
        successor regulation.
            (12) Telecommunications service provider.--The term 
        ``telecommunications service provider'' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 52.5(e) of title 47, Code of Federal 
        Regulations, or any successor regulation.
            (13) Small and rural communities.--The term ``small and 
        rural communities'' means a noncore area, a micropolitan area, 
        or a small metropolitan statistical area with a population of 
        not more than 250,000, as reported in the decennial census.
            (14) State.--The term ``State'' means any of the several 
        States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any 
        territory or possession of the United States.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission, in 
coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall 
establish an advisory committee to provide recommendations to address 
challenges to transmitting geolocation information with calls to the 
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Composition.--
                    (A) In general.--The committee shall be composed of 
                14 members, to be appointed in accordance with 
                subparagraphs (B) and (C).
                    (B) Appointments by federal communications 
                commission.--Of the 14 members of the committee 
                appointed under this paragraph, the Federal 
                Communications Commission shall appoint--
                            (i) 1 member from a telecommunications 
                        service provider or an organization that 
                        represents telecommunications service 
                        providers;
                            (ii) 1 member from a handset manufacturer 
                        or an organization that represents handset 
                        manufacturers;
                            (iii) 1 member from a public safety 
                        answering point or an organization that 
                        represents public safety answering points;
                            (iv) 1 member from a 911 system service 
                        provider or an organization that represents 911 
                        system service providers;
                            (v) 2 members from a State government, with 
                        at least 1 member representing a low population 
                        State; and
                            (vi) 2 members from a local government, 
                        with at least 1 member representing small and 
                        rural communities.
                    (C) Appointments by the secretary of health and 
                human services.--Of the 14 members of the committee 
                appointed under this paragraph, the Secretary of Health 
                and Human Services shall appoint--
                            (i) 1 member from the 988 Suicide and 
                        Crisis Lifeline;
                            (ii) 1 member from a local crisis center or 
                        an organization that represents local crisis 
                        centers;
                            (iii) 1 member from the Veterans Crisis 
                        Line;
                            (iv) 1 member from the Substance Abuse and 
                        Mental Health Services Administration;
                            (v) 1 member from a mental health services 
                        organization; and
                            (vi) 1 member from a community based mental 
                        health organization.
            (2) Date.--The appointments of the members of the committee 
        shall be made not later than 30 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act.
    (c) Period of Appointment; Vacancies.--
            (1) In general.--A member of the committee shall be 
        appointed for the life of the committee.
            (2) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the committee--
                    (A) shall not affect the powers of the committee; 
                and
                    (B) shall be filled in the same manner as the 
                original appointment.
    (d) Meetings.--
            (1) Initial meeting.--Not later than 30 days after the date 
        on which all members of the committee have been appointed, the 
        committee shall hold the first meeting of the committee.
            (2) Frequency.--The committee shall meet at the call of the 
        Chairperson.
            (3) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the committee 
        shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may 
        hold hearings.
    (e) Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.--The committee shall select a 
Chairperson and Vice Chairperson from among the members of the 
committee.

SEC. 4. DUTIES OF COMMITTEE.

    (a) Study.--The committee shall conduct a study on--
            (1) policy considerations regarding consumer privacy and 
        legal authority with respect to mandating transmission of 
        location information, including dispatchable location 
        information, with calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline;
            (2) technical implementation standards for service 
        providers, 911 system service providers, public safety 
        answering points, and local crisis centers; and
            (3) potential recovery of costs or additional funding 
        requirements for service providers, the 988 Suicide and Crisis 
        Lifeline, the Veterans Crisis Line, and local crisis centers.
    (b) Recommendations.--Based on the results of the study conducted 
under subsection (a), the committee shall develop recommendations on 
potential legislation that would address challenges relating to the 
inclusion of location information, including dispatchable location 
information, with calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the committee shall submit to appropriate committees of 
Congress and the Federal Communications Commission a report that 
contains a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of the 
committee, together with the recommendations of the committee for such 
legislation and administrative actions as the committee considers 
appropriate.

SEC. 5. POWERS OF COMMITTEE.

    (a) Hearings.--The committee may hold such hearings, sit and act at 
such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence 
as the committee considers advisable to carry out this Act.
    (b) Information From Federal Agencies.--
            (1) In general.--The committee may secure directly from a 
        Federal department or agency such information as the committee 
        considers necessary to carry out this Act.
            (2) Furnishing information.--On request of the Chairperson 
        of the committee, the head of the department or agency shall 
        furnish the information to the committee.
    (c) Postal Services.--The committee may use the United States mails 
in the same manner and under the same conditions as other departments 
and agencies of the Federal Government.
    (d) Gifts.--The committee may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or 
donations of services or property.

SEC. 6. COMMITTEE PERSONNEL MATTERS.

    (a) Travel Expenses.--A member of the committee shall be allowed 
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 
authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 
of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular 
places of business in the performance of services for the committee.
    (b) Staff.--
            (1) In general.--The Chairperson of the committee may, 
        without regard to the civil service laws (including 
        regulations), appoint and terminate an executive director and 
        such other additional personnel as may be necessary to enable 
        the committee to perform its duties, except that the employment 
        of an executive director shall be subject to confirmation by 
        the committee.
            (2) Compensation.--The Chairperson of the committee may fix 
        the compensation of the executive director and other personnel 
        without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 
        of title 5, United States Code, relating to classification of 
        positions and General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate 
        of pay for the executive director and other personnel may not 
        exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule 
        under section 5316 of that title.
    (c) Detail of Government Employees.--A Federal Government employee 
may be detailed to the committee without reimbursement, and such detail 
shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status or 
privilege.
    (d) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The 
Chairperson of the committee may procure temporary and intermittent 
services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates 
for individuals that do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual 
rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5316 of that title.

SEC. 7. TERMINATION OF COMMITTEE.

    The committee shall terminate 30 days after the date on which the 
committee submits the report required under section 4(c) of this Act.

SEC. 8. FUNDING.

    This Act shall be carried out using amounts otherwise appropriated, 
and no additional amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act.
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