Recognizing suicide as a serious public health problem, expressing support for the designation of September 8, 2025, as “988 Day” and the role of 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Recognizing suicide as a serious public health problem, expressing support for the designation of September 8, 2025, as “988 Day” and the role of 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (referred to in this preamble as the “CDC”), in 2023—

(1) suicide was the second-leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 34;

(2) suicide was responsible for more than 49,000 deaths, or about 1 death every 11 minutes; and

(3) suicide was the eleventh-leading cause of death in the United States overall;

Whereas, according to the CDC, from 1999 through 2018, the national suicide rate increased by 35 percent;

Whereas suicide and attempts have a devastating and long-lasting impact on individuals, families, and communities across the United States;

Whereas over 90 percent of individuals who die by suicide were living with a diagnosable mental health condition at the time of their death, conditions that are frequently undiagnosed or untreated;

Whereas untreated mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders, significantly increase the risk of suicide;

Whereas access to timely and effective mental health services and crisis support is a vital component of suicide prevention;

Whereas, on July 16, 2022, 988 became the nationwide, three-digit dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, now known as the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (referred to in this preamble as the “988 Lifeline”);

Whereas the 988 Lifeline is operated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (referred to in this preamble as “SAMHSA”) and connects individuals in crisis to a national network of over 200 State and locally funded crisis centers that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week;

Whereas the 988 Lifeline offers services in over 150 languages, and provides support through phone, chat, and TTY services for the deaf and hard of hearing, as well as specialized options, including a veterans crisis line, services for Spanish speakers, and services tailored for at-risk populations;

Whereas, since the launch of the 988 Lifeline in July 2022, it has routed nearly 18,000,000 contacts, including calls, texts, and chats;

Whereas, according to SAMHSA, a recent study found that 98 percent of callers reported the 988 Lifeline was helpful and 88 percent of callers said the 988 Lifeline prevented them from harming themselves;

Whereas, since the original launch of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in 2005, annual contact volume increased steadily by approximately 14 percent, with the number of interactions growing from 46,000 in 2005 to over 2,600,000 in 2020;

Whereas, in August 2022, the 988 Lifeline received 112,000 more contacts than the Lifeline did in August 2021, a 45 percent increase;

Whereas, from July 2022 to July 2024, the 988 Lifeline received 10,800,000 contacts, and in May 2024 alone, the 988 Lifeline received over 500,000 contacts, an increase of 33 percent over May 2023 and 80 percent over May 2022; and

Whereas SAMHSA annually recognizes September 8th as 988 Day, which is observed by organizations nationwide to raise awareness of the service and promote mental health support: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) supports the designation of September 8, 2025, as “988 Day”;

(2) recognizes suicide as a serious and growing public health concern in the United States;

(3) commends the development and implementation of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline as a critical component of the national mental health safety net;

(4) encourages continued public education and outreach regarding the availability and importance of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, particularly for high-risk populations;

(5) supports Federal, State, and local efforts to expand access to mental health services and crisis intervention programs; and

(6) supports the goals and ideals of 988 Day as a way to recognize the essential role of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in saving lives and supporting mental health across all communities in the United States.