[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 163 (Monday, September 21, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4608-H4611]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            NATIONAL SUICIDE HOTLINE DESIGNATION ACT OF 2020

  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 2661) to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to designate 9-
8-8 as the universal telephone number for the purpose of the national 
suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system operating 
through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and through the 
Veterans Crisis Line, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 2661

       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 ``National Suicide Hotline 
     Designation Act of 2020''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) According to the American Foundation for Suicide 
     Prevention, on average, there are 129 suicides per day in the 
     United States.
       (2) To prevent future suicides, it is critical to 
     transition the cumbersome, existing 10-digit National Suicide 
     Hotline to a universal, easy-to-remember, 3-digit phone 
     number and connect people in crisis with life-saving 
     resources.
       (3) It is essential that people in the United States have 
     access to a 3-digit national suicide hotline across all 
     geographic locations.
       (4) The designated suicide hotline number will need to be 
     both familiar and recognizable to all people in the United 
     States.

     SEC. 3. UNIVERSAL TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR NATIONAL SUICIDE 
                   PREVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS HOTLINE 
                   SYSTEM.

       (a) In General.--Section 251(e) of the Communications Act 
     of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 251(e)) is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:
       ``(4) Universal telephone number for national suicide 
     prevention and mental health crisis hotline system.--9-8-8 is 
     designated as the universal telephone number within the 
     United States for the purpose of the national suicide 
     prevention and mental health crisis hotline system operating

[[Page H4609]]

     through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline maintained 
     by the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance 
     Use under section 520E-3 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
     U.S.C. 290bb-36c) and through the Veterans Crisis Line 
     maintained by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under section 
     1720F(h) of title 38, United States Code.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     shall take effect on the date that is 1 year after the date 
     of enactment of this Act.
       (c) Required Report.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary for 
     Mental Health and Substance Use and the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs shall jointly submit a report that details the 
     resources necessary to make the use of 9-8-8, as designated 
     under paragraph (4) of section 251(e) of the Communications 
     Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 251(e)), as added by subsection (a) of 
     this section, operational and effective across the United 
     States to--
       (1) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
     of the Senate;
       (2) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
       (3) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (4) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives.

     SEC. 4. STATE AUTHORITY OVER FEES.

       (a) Authority.--
       (1) In general.--Nothing in this Act, any amendment made by 
     this Act, the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et 
     seq.), or any Commission regulation or order may prevent the 
     imposition and collection of a fee or charge applicable to a 
     commercial mobile service or an IP-enabled voice service 
     specifically designated by a State, a political subdivision 
     of a State, an Indian Tribe, or village or regional 
     corporation serving a region established pursuant to the 
     Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) 
     for 9-8-8 related services, if the fee or charge is held in a 
     sequestered account to be obligated or expended only in 
     support of 9-8-8 services, or enhancements of such services, 
     as specified in the provision of State or local law adopting 
     the fee or charge.
       (2) Use of 9-8-8 funds.--A fee or charge collected under 
     this subsection shall only be imposed, collected, and used to 
     pay expenses that a State, a political subdivision of a 
     State, an Indian Tribe, or village or regional corporation 
     serving a region established pursuant to the Alaska Native 
     Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) is expected to 
     incur that are reasonably attributed to--
       (A) ensuring the efficient and effective routing of calls 
     made to the 9-8-8 national suicide prevention and mental 
     health crisis hotline to an appropriate crisis center; and
       (B) personnel and the provision of acute mental health, 
     crisis outreach and stabilization services by directly 
     responding to the 9-8-8 national suicide prevention and 
     mental health crisis hotline.
       (b) Fee Accountability Report.--To ensure efficiency, 
     transparency, and accountability in the collection and 
     expenditure of a fee or charge for the support or 
     implementation of 9-8-8 services, not later than 2 years 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 
     thereafter, the Commission shall submit to the Committees on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Appropriations of 
     the Senate and the Committees on Energy and Commerce and 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report 
     that--
       (1) details the status in each State, political subdivision 
     of a State, Indian Tribe, or village or regional corporation 
     serving a region established pursuant to the Alaska Native 
     Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) of the 
     collection and distribution of such fees or charges; and
       (2) includes findings on the amount of revenues obligated 
     or expended by each State, political subdivision of a State, 
     Indian Tribe, or village or regional corporation serving a 
     region established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims 
     Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) for any purpose other 
     than the purpose for which any such fees or charges are 
     specified.
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Commercial mobile service.--The term ``commercial 
     mobile service'' has the meaning given that term under 
     section 332(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
     332(d)).
       (2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
     Communications Commission.
       (3) IP-enabled voice service.--The term ``IP-enabled voice 
     service'' shall include--
       (A) an interconnected VoIP service, as defined in section 
     9.3 of the title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations, or 
     any successor thereto; and
       (B) a one-way interconnected VoIP service.
       (4) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given that 
     term in section 7 of the Wireless Communications and Public 
     Safety Act of 1999 (47 U.S.C. 615b).

     SEC. 5. LOCATION IDENTIFICATION REPORT.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications 
     Commission shall submit to the appropriate committees a 
     report that examines the feasibility and cost of including an 
     automatic dispatchable location that would be conveyed with a 
     9-8-8 call, regardless of the technological platform used and 
     including with calls from multi-line telephone systems (as 
     defined in section 6502 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and 
     Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1471)).
       (b) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Appropriate committees.--The term ``appropriate 
     committees'' means the following:
       (A) The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
     of the Senate.
       (B) The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
     of the Senate.
       (C) The Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (2) Dispatchable location.--The term ``dispatchable 
     location'' means the street address of the calling party and 
     additional information such as room number, floor number, or 
     similar information necessary to adequately identify the 
     location of the calling party.

     SEC. 6. REPORT ON CERTAIN TRAINING PROGRAMS.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or 
     queer (referred to in this section as ``LGBTQ'') are more 
     than 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide than their 
     peers, with 1 in 5 LGBTQ youth and more than 1 in 3 
     transgender youth reporting attempting suicide;
       (2) American Indian and Alaska Natives have the highest 
     rate of suicide of any racial or ethnic group in the United 
     States with a suicide rate over 3.5 times higher than the 
     racial or ethnic group with the lowest rate, with the suicide 
     rate increasing, since 1999, by 139 percent for American 
     Indian women and 71 percent for men;
       (3) between 2001 and 2015, the suicide death rate in rural 
     counties in the United States was 17.32 per 100,000 
     individuals, which is significantly greater than the national 
     average, and the data shows that between that same time 
     period, suicide rates increased for all age groups across all 
     counties in the United States, with the highest rates and the 
     greatest increases being in more rural counties; and
       (4) the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
     Administration must be equipped to provide specialized 
     resources to these and other high-risk populations.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary for Mental 
     Health and Substance Use shall submit to the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the 
     Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 
     Senate, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House 
     of Representatives a report that--
       (1) details a strategy, to be developed in consultation 
     with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 
     National Institute of Mental Health, and organizations 
     capable of providing nationwide suicide prevention and crisis 
     services for LGBTQ youth, minorities, rural individuals, or 
     other high-risk populations, for the Substance Abuse and 
     Mental Health Services Administration to offer, support, or 
     provide technical assistance to training programs for 
     National Suicide Prevention Lifeline counselors to increase 
     competency in serving high-risk populations; and
       (2) includes recommendations regarding--
       (A) the facilitation of access to services that are 
     provided to specially trained staff and partner organizations 
     for LGBTQ youth, minorities, rural individuals, and other 
     high-risk populations; and
       (B) a strategy for optimally implementing an Integrated 
     Voice Response, or other equally effective mechanism, to 
     allow National Suicide Prevention Lifeline callers who are 
     LGBTQ youth, minorities, rural individuals, or members of 
     other high-risk populations to access specialized services.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. McNerney) and the gentleman from Montana (Mr. 
Gianforte) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on S. 2661.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, last Congress, the House took up the National Suicide 
Hotline Improvement Act, which directed the FCC to study and consider 
whether it is technically feasible to establish a three-digit number 
for calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
  I am proud that today, during Suicide Prevention Month, the House is 
taking up the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act to expand our 
previous efforts. The legislation before us directs the FCC to 
designate ``988'' as the number for accessing the lifeline. The FCC, in 
response to our previous legislation, is already taking steps to 
accomplish this, but the legislation goes further.

[[Page H4610]]

  Critically, this measure paves the way to create a sustainable 
funding stream for our suicide prevention call-takers, something that 
we desperately need. These seemingly small changes will make finding 
help immensely easier for Americans who are experiencing suicide or 
mental health crises.
  The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which is accessible today 
by calling 1-800-273-TALK, received more than 2.2 million calls in 
2018. As hard as it is to believe, that figure is expected to go up 
when 988 is fully implemented and becomes accessible to the public. But 
designating a short three-digit code that is easier to remember than a 
cumbersome 1-800 number is supposed to reach more people. That is the 
point. But that is also why it is so important that the lifeline be 
able to fund its operations.
  Because of this legislation, it is likely that the lifeline will 
receive more calls and save more lives than it does today. Luckily, the 
lifeline has a proven track record, successfully deescalating almost 98 
percent of interactions with callers experiencing suicidal or mental 
health crises.
  We have no reason to expect different outcomes when the number 
changes to 988 because the bill ensures that the lifeline network call 
centers will have the resources necessary to handle the increase in 
volume that they are anticipating. It is undeniably one of the most 
effective tools at our disposal to address the crisis of suicide in 
America.
  An analysis of 1,500 calls from just over 1,400 individuals showed 
that callers who utilized the lifeline's assistance were significantly 
more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, 
and more hopeful by the end of the call. It is clear that people who 
can access help when they need it have better outcomes than those who 
can't.
  That is why our immediate goal with this legislation is to reach the 
people who need help but aren't getting it, and there are far too many 
folks who fit that description. More than 47,000 Americans died by 
suicide, and more than 1.4 million Americans attempted suicide in 2017. 
In 2018, 48,000 Americans died by suicide. Sadly, the numbers are even 
worse for certain at-risk populations.
  More than 6,000 veterans died by suicide each year from 2008 to 2017. 
Young LGBTQ adults are four times more likely to contemplate suicide 
than their heterosexual peers, and 39 percent of LGBTQ youths reported 
seriously considering suicide in the past 12 months.
  Mr. Speaker, that is why this bill ensures that the lifeline and the 
good people on the other end of the call have the tools and resources 
they need to reach people who need it the most.
  Mr. Speaker, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act is a 
necessary step to reducing suicide in the United States and will 
ultimately save lives. I thank Representatives Moulton and Stewart for 
drafting this measure and the Senate for introducing a companion bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I also thank the chairs and ranking members of the 
Communications and Technology Subcommittee and the full Committee on 
Energy and Commerce for their bipartisan work to bring this measure to 
the floor. I look forward to the legislation passing the House today 
and its signature by the President.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill, S. 2661, the National 
Suicide Hotline Designation Act by Senators Gardner, Baldwin, Moran, 
and Reed. It is the Senate companion of legislation I introduced with 
Representatives Stewart, Moulton, and Eddie Bernice Johnson.
  It designates ``988'' as the universal telephone number for the 
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline system. This means no matter where 
you are in the country, just like when you call 911, when you call 988, 
you will be connected to mental health resources.
  This legislation also authorizes States to collect a fee limited to 
supporting local crisis call centers that are affiliated with the 
national network or enhancement of such services. It also sets a 1-year 
deadline to complete technical upgrades to enable the number.
  Mr. Speaker, I am glad we have been able to work together on this 
measure and others to improve the network of services that make up the 
suicide prevention lifeline and to educate Americans about suicide 
prevention. These bills are badly needed by a Nation working to emerge 
from an unprecedented health and economic crisis, and it is badly 
needed in Montana where, tragically, we have one of the highest rates 
of suicide in the country.

  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to come together here today to 
advance these bills, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Utah (Mr. Stewart).
  Mr. STEWART. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Montana, as well 
as others who have supported this.
  Mr. Speaker, the sad reality is, here in the United States, we are in 
the middle of a tragedy. It is a tragedy that is particularly painful 
for our youth and our veterans, as so many of them have experienced 
suicide and left tragedies behind for them and their families.
  If you are in the middle of a mental health crisis and you need help, 
if you are worried about one of your children, your son, a daughter, a 
roommate, a friend, you need to know who to call. But the problem is, 
no one knows the number.
  The second problem is, the number is different. If you are calling in 
Salt Lake City, it is a different number than if you are calling in New 
York or if you are calling from California or even another part of 
Utah.
  This fixes it, which is why I rise to support the bill, S. 2661.
  Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased, working with, again, my colleagues, 
that after 4 years of working on designating this three-digit number--
legislation which, by the way, was based on something that we did in 
Utah about 4 years ago--we are finally going to pass this bill to do 
just that.
  Imagine this: Every 11 minutes, somebody in the United States commits 
suicide--not attempts suicide, actually commits suicide--leaving behind 
devastation of broken hearts and broken families and friends. It used 
to be that if I spoke to a group of 100 and said, ``How many of you 
have been impacted by someone you know or love and you care about who 
has attempted suicide or committed suicide?'' 5 or 6 years ago, maybe a 
few hands would come up. Now, in those settings, almost everyone raises 
their hands.
  That is good because we are more willing to acknowledge and recognize 
the problem and to discuss it. But the truth is, most of us have been 
affected in one way or another by someone we know, someone we care 
about.
  It is heartbreaking, as I said, not only for the lives that are taken 
but the family and the friends who are left behind to mourn that 
terrible loss. Too many of us have been impacted by suicide and the 
very real need to do something about it, and this bill does.
  By designating ``988'' as a nationwide hotline number, we increase 
the accessibility.
  If your house is on fire, call 911.
  If you need the police, call 911.
  If you are in the middle of a mental health crisis, 988 is going to 
get you help. It is going to immediately give you someone to talk with 
and, in special cases where intervention is necessary, to give you that 
resource as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues here in the House, and I thank my 
colleagues in the Senate, to join with them in helping those people who 
need our help--the most vulnerable, again, as I started out by saying, 
particularly among our youth and our veterans.
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah for his leadership. I 
urge adoption of this, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. 
Stewart) for his leadership on this issue. It is an issue that can 
affect families and tear them apart, and I appreciate the work.

[[Page H4611]]

  The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act is a necessary step in 
reducing suicide in the United States and will ultimately save lives.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the 
National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, which I have led in the House 
with my colleagues Congressmen Chris Stewart, Seth Moulton, and Greg 
Gianforte. I am so pleased that we are considering this critical 
legislation on the floor today, in honor of September as Suicide 
Prevention Month.
  As a former chief psychiatric nurse, I have spent my legislative 
career advocating for more accessible mental health resources in our 
communities, especially considering the significant needs in these 
difficult times. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
reported that in late June, 40 percent of American adults struggled 
with mental health or substance abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Specifically, it reported that communities of color, essential workers, 
younger adults, and unpaid caregivers had disproportionately worse 
mental health outcomes and elevated suicidal ideation.
  This is exactly why I am determined to pass this bill, as it directs 
the Federal Communications Commission to designate 9-8-8 for the 
national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system. It 
also provides the necessary state funding guidance, federal reporting, 
and specialized service training to effectively implement the new 
dialing code. This three-digit phone number--instead of a full ten-
digit number--is much easier to remember, especially when you or a 
loved one are in a crisis and in need of help. As such, this redesigned 
and upgraded suicide prevention lifeline will save lives.
  As the country's mental health and suicide crises have worsen during 
the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress has an urgent responsibility to fulfill 
the promise of 9-8-8 and develop a modern mental health and suicide 
prevention crisis hotline system. I am especially proud of the efforts 
in this legislation to support communities at higher risk of suicide, 
including veterans and LGBTQ youth. This new system will include the 
Veterans Crisis Line to specifically support veterans seeking mental 
health support. The bill also authorizes states to collect a fee 
designated solely to supporting local crisis call centers affiliated 
within the national network, which includes the Suicide and Crisis 
Center of North Texas in my district. This provision will ensure that 
the local call centers experiencing increased call volume due to the 
more accessible dialing code will have the financial resources needed 
to expand their operations and serve all who are seeking help.
  We must not allow the tragedies of this coronavirus to be compounded 
by preventable losses of life due to mental health distress. As a 
former mental health professional, I am proud to support the passage of 
the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, and I thank my colleagues 
for their collaboration on such a critical and timely effort. I urge my 
colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

                              {time}  1715

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. McNerney) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, S. 2661.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________