[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 19 (Friday, February 18, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          INTRODUCTION OF THE ``CALLING FOR 211 ACT OF 2005''

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 17, 2005

  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I'm very proud to be the lead Democratic 
sponsor of the Calling for 211 Act of 2005, and I look forward to 
working with my congressional partner Rep. Bilirakis to move this 
proposal forward.
  Every hour of every day, someone in the United States needs essential 
services for themselves or someone close to them. These services can 
range from finding an after-school program for a child, to securing 
care for an aging parent, to finding drug or alcohol counseling. Faced 
with a myriad of agencies and help lines, many people end up going 
without services that they need just because they don't know where to 
start.
  When someone calls 2-1-1, an information and referral specialist 
assesses the caller's needs and determines which service provider is 
best equipped to handle their problems or crises. These specialists are 
also trained to determine whether a caller may be eligible for other 
programs. 2-1-1 service providers maintain comprehensive databases of 
resources, including federal, state and local government agencies, 
community-based organizations and private non-profits.
  In 2000, the FCC designated 2-1-1 for community information and 
referral purposes. Today, 2-1-1 reaches 107 million Americans--about 37 
percent of the U.S. population--with call centers operational in 31 
states and the District of Columbia. The goal of the Calling for 211 
Act of 2005 is to ensure that all Americans have access to quality 
community information and referral services through 2-1-1.
  The largest barriers for communities seeking to implement 2-1-1 are 
funding and awareness. In many states, limited resources have slowed 
the process of connecting communities with this vital service. Current 
funding where 2-1-1 is operational comes from diverse sources including 
non-profits, state governments, foundations, and businesses.
  The Calling for 211 Act is strongly supported by the United Way and 
builds on the ongoing efforts to make it easier to connect people with 
important community services and volunteer opportunities through the 
nationwide implementation of 2-1-1. The legislation provides federal 
matching grants to enable some dramatic and much needed changes to the 
way people connect to their communities, including: Providing the 
infrastructure to connect individuals with precise information and 
social services that address their needs; Empowering the nation to 
better respond to large-scale emergencies and homeland security needs 
by relieving pressure on overwhelmed 911 call centers; Providing 
aggregated data from 2-1-1 systems nationwide to better assess the 
needs of our communities.
  I believe the 2-1-1 system has great potential; this legislation will 
establish a federal partnership with states and local communities to 
give more Americans access to 2-1-1 services. By augmenting existing 
funding from state and local governments, nonprofits, and the business 
community, we can ensure that 2-1-1 can finally be a truly national 
system. A small investment at the national level would pay immediate 
dividends in terms of faster, more efficient responses to non-emergency 
but still critical situations.
  In a crisis no one has time to flip through their phonebook. When an 
urgent medical or safety issue arises, we dial 911 knowing we can get 
help anywhere and at anytime. We should expect the same when it comes 
to tracking down important social services as well.
  I urge my Colleagues to support this legislation and help to 
implement this critical safety net for all Americans.

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