[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 81 (Tuesday, May 11, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H2176-H2178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2021
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2981) to amend the Public Health Service Act to ensure the
provision of high-quality service through the Suicide Prevention
Lifeline, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2981
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 2021''.
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 2021,
complete development of the initial version of the plan
[[Page H2177]]
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 2022 through 2024.
``(2) Allocation.--Of the amount authorized to be
appropriated by paragraph (1) for each of fiscal years 2022
through 2024, 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 2022 and 2023.
(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 gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. PALLONE. 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. 2981.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2981, the Suicide
Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act.
We have spoken a lot about suicide prevention today and recognize
that this is an issue we have to address to save the lives of Americans
who are in the prime of their life. And we have tens of thousands of
people dying every year from suicide, and millions of people struggling
with mental health issues, many of which have been exacerbated by the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Fortunately, the Federal Government provides dedicated funding for a
lifeline that people can call when they are in crisis, and we have
recently made major investments in improving this lifeline by changing
it to a 3-digit number, 988. That change is in the works now, Madam
Speaker.
{time} 1545
This bill will increase support for the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline to ensure that those who make the call are able to get high
quality crisis service. The lifeline's network has now over 170 local
call centers that answer millions of calls every year. However, we need
to provide additional funding so this lifeline can respond to
increasing demands. The legislation will also enhance coordination of
services as well as data sharing while extending the capacity for local
communities to provide services.
This bill, Madam Speaker, will ensure that the lifeline has the
sufficient level of resources needed to provide high quality services
for people who are reaching out for help.
Again, I want to commend the lead sponsors of this bill,
Representatives Katko, Beyer, and Napolitano, and their staff for their
tireless work on this bill.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2981, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2981, the
Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act of 2021, introduced by
Representatives Katko, Napolitano, and Beyer. This legislation will
increase the authorization of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
program to $50 million a year and ensures funding is available for the
continued operation of the suicide hotline.
When an individual in crisis calls the suicide hotline, they cannot
get a busy signal. This is crucial in this time of economic distress
and social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 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.
[[Page H2178]]
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important
legislation.
Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr.
Katko).
Mr. KATKO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Suicide Prevention
Lifeline Improvement Act. I was proud to introduce this legislation
alongside my good friends and tremendous leaders on mental health
issues, Congresswoman Napolitano and Congressman Beyer.
Every year during Mental Health Awareness Month, I stand before this
body to highlight the mental health crisis facing our Nation and the
urgent need for action. This year, however, the issue is more critical
than ever.
As the coronavirus pandemic impacted nearly every aspect of our
society and daily lives, we saw devastating increases in the number of
Americans suffering from mental health issues. One report by the
Centers for Disease Control last June indicated that 40 percent of U.S.
adults reported struggling with mental health or substance use, with
nearly 11 percent of adults and over 25 percent of those aged 18 to 24
years old having seriously considered suicide. Those are stunning
numbers. The threat of this pandemic was not solely a physical or
financial one. It has taken a toll on the mental health of millions
upon millions of Americans, and they need our support.
I am pleased that the bipartisan Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Improvement Act takes important steps to provide individuals in crisis
with lifesaving aid and resources by improving and strengthening the
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Since its creation, the lifeline
has been significantly underfunded and plagued with issues, like long
call wait times and lack of consistency.
This bill increases the authorization from $12 million to $50
million, and dedicates 80 percent of that funding to local suicide
crisis centers that are the backbone of the lifeline, like Contact
Community Services in Syracuse, which literally saves lives every day.
The legislation also implements important quality assurance measures
including the requirement to eliminate call wait times and implement
evidence-based practices like follow-up and referrals to other health
services that are required. For too long, the mental health and suicide
crisis in our country has gone unspoken, underfunded and under-
recognized. It is time we address this crisis as what it is: a crisis.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2981 and other
important mental health bills on the floor today.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GUTHRIE. In closing, Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleagues
for working very hard on this bill and all the bills for suicide
preservation.
Madam Speaker, I urge its passage, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. PALLONE. In closing, Madam Speaker, this, again, is a bill to try
to improve the lifeline and the use of the new 988 number. I urge its
support, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2981.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ROY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
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