[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 163 (Monday, September 21, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4630-H4631]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2020
Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4564) to amend the Public Health Service Act to ensure the
provision of high-quality service through the Suicide Prevention
Lifeline, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4564
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 ``Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Improvement Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE.
(a) Plan.--Section 520E-3 of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 290bb-36c) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (e); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
``(c) Plan.--
``(1) In general.--For purposes of maintaining the suicide
prevention hotline under subsection (b)(2), the Secretary
shall develop and implement a plan to ensure the provision of
high-quality service.
``(2) Contents.--The plan required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
``(A) Quality assurance provisions, including--
``(i) clearly defined and measurable performance indicators
and objectives to improve the responsiveness and performance
of the hotline, including at backup call centers; and
``(ii) quantifiable timeframes to track the progress of the
hotline in meeting such performance indicators and
objectives.
``(B) Standards that crisis centers and backup centers must
meet--
``(i) to participate in the network under subsection
(b)(1); and
``(ii) to ensure that each telephone call, online chat
message, and other communication received by the hotline,
including at backup call centers, is answered in a timely
manner by a person, consistent with the guidance established
by the American Association of Suicidology or other guidance
determined by the Secretary to be appropriate.
``(C) Guidelines for crisis centers and backup centers to
implement evidence-based practices including with respect to
followup and referral to other health and social services
resources.
``(D) Guidelines to ensure that resources are available and
distributed to individuals using the hotline who are not
personally in a time of crisis but know of someone who is.
``(E) Guidelines to carry out periodic testing of the
hotline, including at crisis centers and backup centers,
during each fiscal year to identify and correct any problems
in a timely manner.
``(F) Guidelines to operate in consultation with the State
department of health, local governments, Indian tribes, and
tribal organizations.
``(3) Initial plan; updates.--The Secretary shall--
``(A) not later than 6 months after the date of enactment
of the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act of 2020,
complete development of the initial version of the plan
required by paragraph (1), begin implementation of such plan,
and make such plan publicly available; and
``(B) periodically thereafter, update such plan and make
the updated plan publicly available.''.
(b) Transmission of Data to CDC.--Section 520E-3 of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-36c) is amended by
inserting after subsection (c) of such section, as added by
subsection (a) of this section, the following:
``(d) Transmission of Data to CDC.--The Secretary shall
formalize and strengthen agreements between the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline program and the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention to transmit any necessary
epidemiological data from the program to the Centers,
including local call center data, to assist the Centers in
suicide prevention efforts.''.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Subsection (e) of
section 520E-3 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
290bb-36c) is amended to read as follows:
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--To carry out this section, there are
authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2021 through 2023.
``(2) Allocation.--Of the amount authorized to be
appropriated by paragraph (1) for each of fiscal years 2021
through 2023, at least 80 percent shall be made available to
crisis centers.''.
SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM ON INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES.
(a) Pilot Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental
Health and Substance Use, shall carry out a pilot program to
research, analyze, and employ various technologies and
platforms of communication (including social media platforms,
texting platforms, and email platforms) for suicide
prevention in addition to the telephone and online chat
service provided by the Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
(2) Authorization of appropriations.--To carry out
paragraph (1), there is authorized to be appropriated
$5,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2021 and 2022.
(b) Report.--Not later than 24 months after the date on
which the pilot program under subsection (a) commences, the
Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use,
shall submit to the Congress a report on the pilot program.
With respect to each platform of communication employed
pursuant to the pilot program, the report shall include--
(1) a full description of the program;
(2) the number of individuals served by the program;
(3) the average wait time for each individual to receive a
response;
(4) the cost of the program, including the cost per
individual served; and
(5) any other information the Secretary determines
appropriate.
SEC. 4. HHS STUDY AND REPORT.
Not later than 24 months after the Secretary of Health and
Human Services begins implementation of the plan required by
section 520E-3(c) of the Public Health Service Act, as added
by section 2(a)(2) of this Act, the Secretary shall--
(1) complete a study on--
(A) the implementation of such plan, including the progress
towards meeting the objectives identified pursuant to
paragraph (2)(A)(i) of such section 520E-3(c) by the
timeframes identified pursuant to paragraph (2)(A)(ii) of
such section 520E-3(c); and
(B) in consultation with the Director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, options to expand data
gathering from calls to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline in
order to better track aspects of usage such as repeat calls,
consistent with applicable Federal and State privacy laws;
and
(2) submit a report to the Congress on the results of such
study, including recommendations on whether additional
legislation or appropriations are needed.
SEC. 5. GAO STUDY AND REPORT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 24 months after the
Secretary of Health and Human Services begins implementation
of the plan required by section 520E-3(c) of the Public
Health Service Act, as added by section 2(a)(2) of this Act,
the Comptroller General of the United States shall--
(1) complete a study on the Suicide Prevention Lifeline;
and
(2) submit a report to the Congress on the results of such
study.
(b) Issues To Be Studied.--The study required by subsection
(a) shall address--
(1) the feasibility of geolocating callers to direct calls
to the nearest crisis center;
(2) operation shortcomings of the Suicide Prevention
Lifeline;
(3) geographic coverage of each crisis call center;
(4) the call answer rate of each crisis call center;
(5) the call wait time of each crisis call center;
(6) the hours of operation of each crisis call center;
(7) funding avenues of each crisis call center;
(8) the implementation of the plan under section 520E-3(c)
of the Public Health Service Act, as added by section 2(a) of
this Act, including the progress towards meeting the
objectives identified pursuant to paragraph (2)(A)(i) of such
section 520E-3(c) by the timeframes identified pursuant to
paragraph (2)(A)(ii) of such section 520E-3(c); and
(9) service to individuals requesting a foreign language
speaker, including--
(A) the number of calls or chats the Lifeline receives from
individuals speaking a foreign language;
(B) the capacity of the Lifeline to handle these calls or
chats; and
(C) the number of crisis centers with the capacity to serve
foreign language speakers, in house.
(c) Recommendations.--The report required by subsection (a)
shall include recommendations for improving the Suicide
Prevention Lifeline, including recommendations for
legislative and administrative actions.
SEC. 6. DEFINITION.
In this Act, the term ``Suicide Prevention Lifeline'' means
the suicide prevention hotline maintained pursuant to section
520E-3 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-
36c).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
[[Page H4631]]
Michigan (Mrs. Dingell) and the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Gianforte)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 4564.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4564, the Suicide Prevention
Lifeline Improvement Act of 2020. This legislation will provide
additional resources and authority for the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline, ensuring that it will have the infrastructure necessary to
meet both current needs and the increased volume of outreach expected
when the 988 number is formally adopted.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline currently expects 12 million
calls over the next 4 years, equivalent to the total number of calls
from 2005 to 2017.
Given this increased demand, the current authorization level of
approximately $7.2 million per year is insufficient to meet expected
need for the lifeline's critical services for those in crisis.
This legislation increases the authorization for the lifeline to $50
million each year through fiscal year 2022, allowing it to effectively
manage the increased call volume while reducing wait times.
Additionally, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act will
create a new pilot program to deploy innovative technologies through
social media, texting, and other platforms, connecting Americans where
they are to the lifeline.
It will also establish a plan for maintaining the lifeline program
and provide additional study and recommendations from HHS on ways to
further strengthen access to this program.
I thank and appreciate Representatives Katko, Beyer, and Napolitano
for their leadership in offering this legislation, and continuing to
push for reforms to strengthen the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan effort
to strengthen access to this critical resource for Americans in crisis.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GIANFORTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4564, the Suicide
Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act, introduced by Representatives
Katko, Cardenas, and Representatives Graves and Bishop from Georgia.
This legislation will increase the authorization of the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline program to $50 million each year through
fiscal year 2022.
This bill ensures funding is available for the continued operation of
the suicide hotline. When an individual in crisis calls the suicide
hotline, they can't get a busy signal. This is crucial, again, in this
time of economic distress and social isolation.
I know we will also consider several other pieces of legislation,
including designating 988 as the extension for the national suicide
hotline.
With more individuals in crisis, more calls will come. We must
increase awareness of this critical resource and make it easier to
remember the number.
We must make sure the national suicide hotline is prepared to deal
with those in crisis. This issue has been one of my top priorities in
Congress, and I am glad we have been able to work together to get this
done.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important
bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1830
Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer), who has helped
champion this bill.
Mr. BEYER. Madam Speaker, I too rise to ask my colleagues to support
the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act led by my colleague,
Mr. Katko.
This is a bill that the Mental Health Caucus co-chairs, Mr. Katko and
Mrs. Napolitano, and I have been working on for several years.
Two years ago, I spent a long afternoon at the local suicide lifeline
in northern Virginia. It was fascinating; it was important; and I
learned a great deal. Number one, I learned that an awful lot of young
people want to do texts rather than phone calls, and they didn't have
that capability. I learned that they were in desperate need of more
staff. I learned that they needed more volunteers, and when I said that
I would like to be a volunteer, I learned that it took four long
weekends, then you had to commit to 40 hours of training, and then you
had to commit to at least one 4- or 5-hour shift per week for the next
year.
I also found that it had a remarkable success rate. They said they
had talked to something like 3,000 people the previous year.
I asked: ``How many had been lost?'' Two out of 3,000.
But I also found out that they have wait times sometimes up to 60
minutes just to get on a call. A crisis can't afford to wait 60
minutes, and that is why we developed this legislation to give the
lifeline the resources it needs and the quick answering times it has to
have to be successful.
We also built in oversight capability so it can be more effectively
reviewed and improved. It has to constantly evolve.
The work is certainly even more important now that we know about the
new 988 designation by the FCC. We have heard a lot about that this
afternoon because we know there is going to be a lot higher demand.
One of the things I have done the last couple of years at every event
is I say: Okay, everybody here raise their hand who knows the suicide
lifeline number.
No one raises their hand ever. But that will be different. In fact, I
am very confident that, within a few years, the 988 will go
international, and it will be the standard all over the world.
It is especially important now during the pandemic. I just looked it
up while we were waiting that a survey this July--2 months ago--found
that 36 percent of young people 18 to 29 years old are experiencing
clinical depression.
Madam Speaker, 48,000 Americans died by their own hand in 2018. We
can't save every life, but the Suicide Prevention Lifeline is
remarkably successful in helping people through that singular moment of
despair in their lives.
Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues again. It has been
bipartisan, and it has been very important. Good friends like Mr.
Gianforte, Mr. Katko, Frank Pallone, and Anna Eshoo helped us through,
and my dear friend Debbie Dingell led here today. I thank them for
prioritizing these mental health supports when we need it most.
Mr. GIANFORTE. Madam Speaker, in closing, this is a critical issue in
Montana. We have one of the highest suicide rates in the country, and
making these services available is critical.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, during these unprecedented times, we
need to ensure that we are putting the resources into those that need
them.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4564, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________