[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8122 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8122
To amend the Public Health Service Act to award grants to eligible
crisis centers to provide follow-up services to individuals receiving
suicide prevention and crisis intervention services, to amend the
Communications Act of 1934 to improve the accessibility of 9-8-8, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 26, 2026
Mr. Raskin (for himself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to award grants to eligible
crisis centers to provide follow-up services to individuals receiving
suicide prevention and crisis intervention services, to amend the
Communications Act of 1934 to improve the accessibility of 9-8-8, 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 ``9-8-8 Connect Act''.
SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR FOLLOW-UP SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING SUICIDE
PREVENTION AND CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICES.
Title V of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting
after section 520E-4 (42 U.S.C. 290bb-36d) the following:
``SEC. 520E-5. FOLLOW-UP SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING SUICIDE
PREVENTION AND CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICES.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Assistant
Secretary, shall award grants to eligible crisis centers to provide
follow-up services to individuals receiving suicide prevention and
crisis intervention services.
``(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to seek a grant under this
section, a crisis center shall be a member of the network of crisis
centers coordinated under section 520E-3(b)(1).
``(c) Selection.--The Secretary shall select recipients of grants
under this section based on the relative needs, including capacity and
service gaps, of the eligible crisis centers applying for such grants.
``(d) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide technical
assistance to recipients of grants under this section regarding best
practices for the implementation of services through such grants.
``(e) Use of Funds.--
``(1) In general.--A crisis center receiving a grant under
this section shall use the grant to provide follow-up services
to individuals receiving suicide prevention and crisis
intervention services such as--
``(A) individuals who were callers at risk of, or
on behalf of someone at risk of, suicide or a mental
health or suicidal crisis; and
``(B) to the extent possible, individuals who--
``(i) received a response from a mobile
crisis team; or
``(ii) made a visit to an urgent behavioral
health clinic, a crisis receiving and
stabilization facility, an emergency
department, an inpatient unit, or another
short-term crisis care site.
``(2) Follow-up services.--Follow-up services referred to
in paragraph (1) may include--
``(A) check-ins to assess well-being and level of
risk;
``(B) outreach to ensure engagement in services and
supports, in coordination with mobile crisis service
providers if involved;
``(C) collaboration with family, caregivers, and
natural social supports; and
``(D) referrals based on the needed level of care.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there is authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for fiscal year
2027, to remain available until expended.''.
SEC. 3. 9-8-8 IMPROVEMENT.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) 9-8-8.--The term ``9-8-8'' means 9-8-8, as designated
as the universal telephone number within the United States for
the purpose of the national suicide prevention and mental
health crisis hotline system under section 251(e)(4) of the
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 251(e)(4)).
(2) Commercial mobile service.--The term ``commercial
mobile service'' has the meaning given the term in section
332(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 332(d)).
(3) Non-service-initialized handset.--The term ``non-
service-initialized handset'' has the meaning given the term in
section 9.10(o)(3)(i) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations,
or any successor regulation.
(b) Transmission of All Calls and Texts.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 270 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission
shall promulgate regulations to ensure that each provider of
commercial mobile service transmits all calls and text messages
made or sent to 9-8-8, including a call or text message that
originates from a non-service-initialized handset (if the call
or text message originates on a phone using a compliant radio
frequency protocol of the provider).
(2) Implementation.--A provider of commercial mobile
service shall comply with the regulations promulgated under
paragraph (1) not later than 1 year after the date on which the
regulations are promulgated.
(c) Configuration of Multi-Line Telephone Systems for Direct
Dialing.--
(1) In general.--Section 721 of the Communications Act of
1934 (47 U.S.C. 623) is amended--
(A) in the section heading, by inserting ``and 9-8-
8'' after ``9-1-1'';
(B) in subsection (a), by inserting ``or 9-8-8''
after ``9-1-1''; and
(C) in subsection (b), by inserting ``or 9-8-8''
after ``9-1-1''.
(2) Applicability.--
(A) In general.--The amendments made by paragraph
(1) shall apply to actions occurring on and after the
date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of
this Act.
(B) Exception.--The amendment made by paragraph
(1)(C) shall not apply to the management or operation
of a multi-line telephone system installed before the
date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of
this Act, if the system is not able to be configured to
satisfy the requirements of the amendment, without an
improvement to the hardware or software of the system.
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