[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 7 (Monday, January 31, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. CLINTON (for herself, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, 
        Mr. Burr, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Hagel, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Lugar, Mr. 
        Nelson of Florida, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Levin, Ms. 
        Landrieu, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Inouye, and 
        Mr. Bennett):
  S. 211. A bill to facilitate nationwide availability of 2-1-1 
telephone service for information and referral on human services, 
volunteer services, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the calling 
for a 2-1-1 Act with my colleague Senator Elizabeth Dole. This bill 
will make an invaluable difference for the citizens of New York and the 
country.
  Just last week I was in Rochester helping to launch a 2-1-1 call 
center that will serve the citizens of the Finger Lakes region of New 
York. This call center will provide a simple, efficient, and convenient 
way for individuals to obtain vital information about government 
services. It is the first step in an ambitious plan to provide 365 day, 
24 hour 2-1-1 service throughout all of New York, and ultimately, the 
entire country.
  The Calling for 2-1-1 Act, which I am introducing today, will create 
at least one 2-1-1 call center just like the one in Rochester in every 
state in the country, and will link every regional call center together 
to ensure Statewide coverage. Last Congress, 31 members of the Senate 
and 149 members of the House of Representatives co-sponsored the 
Calling for 2-1-1 Act. In the 109th, we are working to appeal to even 
more.
  The best part of the 2-1-1 system is that it is equally available to 
everyone. From the mother whose child is about to go off to war, to the 
veteran returning from service, 2-1-1 will help people access the 
information they need when they need it. It helps teens who are in 
crisis and young mothers who have nowhere else to turn. Single mothers 
trying to find a job in a tough economy, frail senior citizens who need 
help with transportation but have no family or friends to call, and 
substance-abusing teens who in a moment of lucidity decide to seek a 
way out can all find what they need by dialing 2-1-1.
  This number also helps people who want to give back to their 
communities. 2-1-1 provides lots of information about volunteer 
opportunities and helps direct people who want to give donations. At 
times of disaster, like the recent tsunami, 2-1-1 will be there to help 
get everyone the information they need to make sure their donations are 
directed effectively.
  2-1-1 is not only good for New Yorkers; it is also good for our 
Nation's bottom line. 2-1-1 saves money because it eliminates 
duplicative services. The service will replace the existing maze of 
individual numbers for individual services: hotlines for shelter from 
abusive spouses, vaccinations for children, or information about where 
to obtain hospice services for ailing parents or loved ones. 2-1-1 will 
be a ``one-stop shop'' for all of these services. According to a recent 
study by the Ray Marshall Center for the Study of Human Resources at 
the University of Texas' Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, 2-
1-1 call centers can save as much as $130 million in the first year of 
operation and as much as $1.1 billion over ten years.
  I would add that 2-1-1 saves lives. Every time someone calls 9-1-1 
with a non-emergency call, the operators spend time with that caller 
that they could be spending dealing with a true emergency. 2-1-1 will 
replace 9-1-1 as the non-emergency point of reference because it is so 
easy to recall.
  We learned on September 11th how important 2-1-1 can be. In the 
immediate aftermath of the disaster, most people did not know where to 
turn for information about their loved ones. Fortunately for those who 
knew about it, 2-1-1 was already operating in Connecticut during 
September 11th, and it was critical in helping identify the whereabouts 
of victims, connecting frightened children with their parents, 
providing information on terrorist suspects, and linking ready 
volunteers with coordinated efforts and victims with necessary mental 
and physical health services. 2-1-1 provided locations of vigils and 
support groups, and information on bioterrorism for those concerned 
about future attacks.
  As time went by, many people needed help getting back on their feet. 
More than 100,000 people lost their jobs. Close to 2,000 families 
applied for housing assistance because they couldn't pay their rent or 
mortgage. 90,000 people developed symptoms of post-traumatic stress 
disorder or clinical depression within eight weeks of the attacks. 
Another 34,000 people met the criteria for both diagnoses. And 2-1-1 
was there to help in Connecticut.
  It wasn't available in far too many other areas, however. In fact, a 
Brookings Institution and Urban Institute study of the aftermath of 
September 11th found that many dislocated workers struggled to obtain 
available assistance. People ``found it difficult to connect with 
resources due to a social-services infrastructure that does not support 
a simple and efficient method for people to learn about and access 
services and for agencies to coordinate their activities.''
  And that is what 2-1-1 is all about. It provides a single, efficient, 
coordinated way for people who need help to connect with those who can 
provide it.
  The Federal Communications Commission laid the groundwork for a 2-1-1 
number in 2000 when it directed that telephone number to be reserved 
for information and referral to social and human-services agencies. The 
2-1-1 system opens the way to a user-friendly social-services network, 
by providing an easy-to-remember and universally available phone number 
that links individuals and families in need to the appropriate non-
profit and government agencies.
  In Rochester, New York and throughout the Finger Lakes, 2-1-1 will do 
just that. Whatever the need, 2-1-1 can help point you in the right 
direction. That is why I am so pleased to be introducing this 
legislation today, and why I am so optimistic that this will be an 
important first step in the road to bringing 2-1-1 to communities 
throughout the Empire State and the entire U.S.A. Thank you.
                                 ______