[Senate Report 117-69]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
117th Congress } { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 117-69
_______________________________________________________________________
NATIONAL SUICIDE HOTLINE DESIGNATION ACT OF 2019
__________
R E P O R T
of the
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
February 9, 2022.--Ordered to be printed
_________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
29-010 WASHINGTON : 2022
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
one hundred seventeenth congress
second session
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington, Chair
AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota ROGER WICKER, Mississippi
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii ROY BLUNT, Missouri
EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts TED CRUZ, Texas
GARY C. PETERS, Michigan DEB FISCHER, Nebraska
TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin JERRY MORAN, Kansas
TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
JON TESTER, Montana MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee
KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona TODD C. YOUNG, Indiana
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada MIKE LEE, Utah
BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
JOHN HICKENLOOPER, Colorado SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia
RAPHAEL WARNOCK, Georgia RICK SCOTT, Florida
CYNTHIA LUMMIS, Wyoming
Melissa Porter, Acting Staff Director
John Keast, Minority Staff Director
117th Congress } { Report
SENATE
2d Session } { 117-69
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NATIONAL SUICIDE HOTLINE DESIGNATION ACT OF 2019
_______
February 9, 2022.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Ms. Cantwell, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to
which was referred 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, having
considered the same, ordered to be reported favorably thereon
with an amendment (in the nature of a substitute) and
recommended that the bill (as amended) do pass. The bill was
discharged and passed with an amendment (in the nature of a
substitute) in the Senate by unanimous consent. On May 14,
2020, S. 2661 was received in the House of Representatives. On
September 21, 2020, a motion to suspend the rules and pass the
bill was agreed to by voice vote in the House of
Representatives. On October 17, 2020, S. 2661 was signed by the
President and became Public Law 116-72.
Purpose of the Bill
The purpose of the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act
of 2019 (S. 2661) is to designate the three-digit dialing code
9-8-8 as the universal telephone number for the purpose of the
national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline
system. S. 2661 also would reserve the ability of States to
assess fees to support the hotline system, and make other
changes to the law to enhance the effectiveness of the hotline
system.
Background and Needs
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United
States.\1\ In 2017, over 47,000 Americans committed suicide,\2\
and more than 1.4 million adults attempted suicide.\3\ The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that,
between 1999 and 2016, the number of suicides increased in 49
of 50 States, and in more than 25 States, the number of
suicides increased by over 20 percent.\4\
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\1\Kenneth D. Kochanek et al., ``Deaths: Final Data for 2017,''
National Vital Statistics Reports 68, no. 9 (Jun. 24, 2019) (https://
www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_09-508.pdf) (accessed May 7,
2020).
\2\National Institute of Mental Health, ``Suicide,'' updated Apr.
2019 (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/suicide.shtml)
(accessed May 7, 2020).
\3\U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration, National Suicide Hotline
Improvement Act: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration Report to the Federal Communications Commission, Feb. 7,
2019, WC docket no. 18-336, CC docket no. 92-105, at 2 (https://
ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/1022280990575/19021504-1.pdf) (accessed May 7,
2020).
\4\Federal Communications Commission, Wireline Competition Bureau,
Office of Economics and Analytics, Report on the National Suicide
Hotline Improvement Act of 2018, Aug. 14, 2019, 1 (https://
docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-359095A1.pdf) (accessed May 7,
2020).
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Segments of the U.S. population are at higher risk,
including teens, veterans, and lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals.\5\ For example, the
rise in teenage suicides has outpaced the increase in suicides
in general.\6\ Between 2007 and 2017, the rate of suicide among
those aged 10 to 24 increased by 56 percent.\7\ According to
the Trevor Project, LGBTQ youth (1) contemplate suicide at
almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth and (2) are
almost five times more likely to have attempted suicide
compared to heterosexual youth.\8\ According to one filing with
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission), it
was projected that 500,000 LGBTQ youth would attempt suicide in
2019.\9\ Additionally, more than 20 veterans die by suicide
every day.\10\ Between 2006 and 2016, more than 6,000 veterans
committed suicide each year.\11\
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\5\FCC report at para. 1.
\6\EJ Dickson, ``Teen Suicide Is on the Rise and No One Knows
Why,'' Rolling Stone,
Oct. 18, 2019 (https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/teen-
suicide-study-increase-why-900711/) (accessed May 7, 2020).
\7\Jane E. Brody, ``The Crisis in Youth Suicide,'' The New York
Times, Dec. 2, 2019 (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/02/well/mind/the-
crisis-in-youth-suicide.html) (accessed May 7, 2020).
\8\The Trevor Project, ``Preventing Suicide: Facts About Suicide''
(https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/preventing-suicide/facts-
about-suicide/) (accessed May 7, 2020).
\9\Letter from U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Dan Sullivan to Hon.
Ajit Pai, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission, Jul. 18, 2019
(https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/108062439600670/
Letter%20to%20Chairman%20Pai%20re%20Hotline%20Improvement%20
Act%20Implementation%207.18.19.pdf) (accessed May 7, 2020).
\10\Id.
\11\U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health
Administration, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Veteran
National Suicide Data Report 2005-2016, Sep. 2018, 4 (https://
www.mentalhealth.va.gov/docs/data-sheets/
OMHSP_National_Suicide_Data_Report_
2005-2016_508.pdf) (accessed May 7, 2020).
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The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline)
currently provides suicide prevention assistance at 1-800-273-
8255 (TALK).\12\ The Lifeline is a national network of 163
crisis centers that is funded by the Department of Health and
Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA).\13\ Trained counselors answered over
2.2 million calls and over 100,000 online chats in 2018.\14\ In
2007, SAMHSA and Veterans Affairs partnered to establish this
number as the access point for the Veterans Crisis Line, which
can be reached by pressing option 1.\15\ ``The Veterans Crisis
Line is comprised of 3 linked call centers in Canandaigua, New
York, Atlanta, Georgia, and Topeka, Kansas, and it collaborates
with a network of over 400 Suicide Prevention Coordinators,
which are located at VA facilities across the country.''\16\
Since the Veterans Crisis Line was launched in 2007, more than
3.8 million calls have been answered.\17\
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\12\The Lifeline can also be accessed via multiple toll-free
numbers, including 1-800-784-2433 (1-800-SUICIDE), 1-888-784-2433 (1-
888-SUICIDE), and 1-877-2432 (SUICIDA). See U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, Petition for the Permanent Reassignment of Three Toll
Free Suicide Prevention Hotline Numbers, WC docket no. 07-271, CC
docket no. 95-155, order, 27 FCC Rcd 2965 (WCB 2012); see also SAMHSA
report at 3.
\13\Id.
\14\SAMHSA report at 5.
\15\U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health
Administration, National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2018, Feb.
7, 2019, WC docket no. 18-336, CC docket no. 92-105, 4 (https://
ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/10222879923948/19021504-2.pdf) (accessed May 7,
2020); see also FCC report at 5.
\16\Federal Communications Commission, Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking: Implementation of the National Suicide Hotline Improvement
Act of 2018, WC docket no. 18-336, rel. December 16, 2019, at para 7
(internal citations omitted) (https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/
121669091890/FCC-19-128A1_Rcd.pdf) (accessed Feb. 17, 2021).
\17\See Notice of Proposed Rulemaking at para 7. The Crisis Line
has also answered more than 439,000 online chats and nearly 108,000
texts since those services began.
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Stakeholders have recommended the adoption of a nationwide,
easy-to-remember three-digit dialing code to ``make it easier
for people in the U.S. experiencing a crisis to receive
immediate and appropriate mental health support and
referral.''\18\ The National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of
2018\19\ directed the FCC, in coordination with the Assistant
Secretary of Health and Human Services for Mental Health and
Substance Use and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to analyze
the effectiveness of the existing National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline and examine the feasibility of designating a three-
digit dialing code for the national suicide prevention and
mental health crisis hotline system.\20\ After reviewing the
SAMHSA Report, the 2018 VA National Suicide Data Report, and an
extensive record of public comments, the Commission issued the
required report on August 24, 2019.\21\
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\18\NAMI, ``Action Alert: Join Us In Supporting A 3-Digit Number
For Suicide Prevention'' (https://namica.org/action-alert-join-us-in-
supporting-a-3-digit-number-for-suicide-prevention/) (accessed May 7,
2020).
\19\National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2018; Pub. L. 115-
233, 132 Stat. 3425.
\20\Id. Section 3(a)(2)(A)-(B).
\21\FCC report.
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The Commission's report found that a three-digit dialing
code could help the existing suicide prevention lifelines be
more effective in preventing suicides and providing crisis
intervention.\22\ According to the FCC, the reports from
SAMHSA, the VA, the North American Numbering Council, and
public comments supported ``the use of a dedicated three-digit
dialing code to increase effectiveness of suicide prevention
efforts, ease access to crisis services, and reduce the stigma
surrounding suicide and mental health conditions.''\23\ The
report concluded that designating a three-digit code dedicated
solely for the purpose of the Lifeline would likely make it
easier for Americans in crisis to access potentially life-
saving resources.\24\ The report also recommended the FCC
conduct a rulemaking to consider designating 9-8-8 as the
three-digit code.\25\ On December 12, 2019, the FCC initiated a
proceeding to establish rules to designate 9-8-8 as the three-
digit code.\26\
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\22\FCC report at 1, 9, 18.
\23\Id.
\24\FCC report at 1, 9, 18.
\25\FCC report at 1, 18.
\26\See Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
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Groups supporting the designation of 9-8-8 have argued that
Congress should advance legislation declaring 9-8-8 as the
universal three-digit dialing code for suicide prevention to
provide certainty to communications providers, the hotlines,
and consumers seeking help. Such legislation also can
accelerate the timeline for communications providers to
complete the work necessary to implement necessary changes in
their networks to implement the new number. In addition,
legislation naming 9-8-8 as the dialing code can address other
issues associated with that move, including the authority of
States, localities, and other jurisdictions to assess fees or
other charges to support the 9-8-8 system. Finally, legislation
can address ancillary issues associated with the proposed 9-8-8
system, like the possibility of including automatic location
information with calls and the ability of the suicide
prevention lifelines to properly meet the needs of LGBTQ and
other high-risk populations.
Summary of Provisions
S. 2661 would do the following:
Designate 9-8-8 as the universal telephone number
for the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health
Hotline System and the Veterans Crisis Line.
Require the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health
and Substance Use and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
to develop a report detailing the resources necessary
to use 9-8-8, while affirming State and local authority
over fees to support a future 9-8-8 system.
Require the FCC to report on the feasibility and
cost of including automatic dispatchable location
information for 9-8-8 calls, and require the Assistant
Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use to report
on a strategy for training programs to better serve
high risk populations, including youth who are lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.
Legislative History
S. 2661, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of
2019, was introduced in the 116th Congress on October 22, 2019,
by Senator Gardner (for himself and Senators Baldwin, Moran,
and Reed) and was referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate. On December 11,
2019, the Committee met in open Executive Session and, by voice
vote, ordered S. 2661 reported favorably with an amendment (in
the nature of a substitute). On May 13, 2020, S. 2661 was
discharged and passed in the Senate with an amendment (in the
nature of a substitute) by unanimous consent. On May 14, 2020,
S. 2661 was received in the House of Representatives. On
September 21, 2020, a motion to suspend the rules and pass the
bill was agreed to by voice vote in the House of
Representatives. On October 17, 2020, S. 2661 was signed by the
President and became Public Law 116-72.
S. 2661 is substantially similar to H.R. 4194, introduced
on August 20, 2019, by Representative Chris Stewart in the
House of Representatives.
On May 3, 2017, Senator Hatch introduced S. 1015, the
National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2017, with Senator
Donnelly as an original cosponsor. S. 1015 directed the FCC to
conduct a study on the feasibility of designating a three-digit
dialing code for a national suicide prevention and mental
health hotline system, among other things. A companion measure,
H.R. 2345, was introduced in the House of Representatives by
Representative Chris Stewart on the same day. H.R. 2345 was
signed into law on August 14, 2018.
Estimated Costs
In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee provides the
following cost estimate, prepared by the Congressional Budget
Office:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
SUMMARY OF LEGISLATION
S. 2661 would designate 9-8-8 as the universal telephone
number for suicide prevention and mental health assistance in
the United States. People who call 9-8-8 would be routed to the
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline maintained by the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) or the Veterans Crisis Line maintained by the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The act would require the following reports to the
Congress:
SAMHSA and VA on the level of resources
necessary to bring the 9-8-8 system into operation;
SAMHSA on its plans to support training for
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline counselors, and
its technology strategy to better serve lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, or queer youth and other high
risk populations; and
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
on the feasibility and cost of automatically
transmitting a caller's location to operators when 9-8-
8 is called, and, two years after enactment, on how
states are collecting and spending fees that support 9-
8-8 services.
ESTIMATED FEDERAL COST
Using information from the affected agencies, CBO estimates
that implementing the act would, on net, cost less than
$500,000 over the 2021-2025 period. CBO estimates that it would
cost the FCC $3 million to complete its required reports.
However, because the FCC is authorized to collect regulatory
fees in an amount sufficient to offset its annual
appropriation, CBO expects that the change in net discretionary
spending by the FCC would be negligible, assuming appropriation
action consistent with that authority. CBO estimates that it
would cost SAMHSA and VA less than $500,000 to issue its
required reports.
Because the FCC issued a final rule on July 16, 2020, that
designated 9-8-8 as the National Suicide Prevention Hotline,
CBO anticipates that any costs incurred by FCC, SAMSHA, and VA
to establish the hotline would arise under current law.
MANDATES
S. 2661 would impose an intergovernmental mandate as
defined by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) by setting
the structure for fees levied by state, local, and tribal
governments on voice and mobile service providers to support
the national suicide prevention and mental-health crisis
hotline. Because those intergovernmental entities do not
currently levy such fees, the mandate would impose no costs on
those entities, and thus not exceed the threshold established
in UMRA ($84 million in 2020, adjusted annually for inflation).
If the FCC increases annual fee collections to offset the
costs to implement provisions in the act, S. 2661 would
increase the cost of an existing mandate on entities required
to pay those fees. Using information from the FCC, CBO
estimates that the incremental cost of the mandate would be
small, and well below the threshold for private-sector mandates
established in UMRA ($168 million, adjusted annually for
inflation).
The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are David Hughes
(for the FCC), Katherine Young (for SAMHSA), Ann E. Futrell
(for VA), and Rachel Austin (for mandates). The estimate was
reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget
Analysis.
Regulatory Impact Statement
In accordance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides the
following evaluation of the regulatory impact of the
legislation:
number of persons covered
S. 2661 would designate 9-8-8 as the three-digit dialing
code for specified suicide prevention hotlines. As such, S.
2661 would impose new obligations on providers of certain
communications services, which are already subject to
regulation by the FCC.
economic impact
S. 2661 would not have an adverse economic impact on the
Nation. It is expected that whatever cost might be imposed on
communications providers in complying with the bill would be
small and below the threshold of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act.
privacy
S. 2661 would not have any adverse impact on the personal
privacy of individuals.
paperwork
S. 2661 would require four reports from the Federal
Government. The first report would be submitted by the
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs within 180 days after the date of
enactment regarding the resources necessary to make use of 9-8-
8. The second report would be submitted by the FCC to Congress
no later than 180 days after the date of enactment concerning
the feasibility and cost of conveying automatic dispatchable
location information with a 9-8-8 call. The third reporting
requirement would require the FCC to submit a report within 2
years after the date of enactment, and annually thereafter,
related to fees assessed by States and localities to support or
implement 9-8-8 services. The fourth reporting requirement
would require the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and
Substance Use to submit a report to the appropriate committees
of Congress no later than 180 days after the date of enactment
on a strategy to offer, support, or provide technical
assistance to training programs to increase competency in
serving high risk populations, along with other information.
Congressionally Directed Spending
In compliance with paragraph 4(b) of rule XLIV of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides that no
provisions contained in the bill meet the definition of
congressionally directed spending items under the rule.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1. Short title
This section would provide that the bill may be cited as
the ``National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2019''.
Section 2. Findings
This section would set out the key findings of the bill
related to the need to designate a universal, easy-to-remember
three-digit phone number for the national suicide hotline.
Section 3. Universal telephone number for national suicide prevention
and mental health crisis hotline system
Subsection (a) of this section would amend section 251(e)
of the Communications Act of 1934 to add a new paragraph (4)
designating 9-8-8 as the universal telephone number within the
United States for the purpose of the national suicide
prevention and mental health crisis hotline system operating
through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the
Veterans Crisis Line.
Subsection (b) of this section would make the amendment in
subsection (a) effective 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act.
Subsection (c) of this section would direct the Assistant
Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs to jointly prepare a report within 180 days
of enactment that details the resources necessary to make the
use of 9-8-8 operational and effective across the United
States. Copies of the report would be submitted to several
named congressional committees.
Section 4. State authority over fees
Subsection (a) of this section would establish that nothing
in this Act, any amendment made by the Act, or any FCC
regulation or order may prevent the imposition and collection
of a fee for the support or implementation of 9-8-8 services
applicable to a commercial mobile service or IP-enabled voice
service by the following: (1) a State; (2) a political
subdivision of a State; (3) an Indian Tribe; or (4) a village
or regional corporation serving a region established pursuant
to the Alaska Native Claims Act. Subsection (a) would further
stipulate that any such fee must be held in a sequestered
account to be obligated or expended only in support of 9-8-8
services, or enhancements of such services. Finally, this
subsection states that any such fee applicable to subscribers
of IP-enabled voice services may not exceed the amount of any
such fee applied to the same class of subscribers to
telecommunications services.
Subsection (b) of this section would require that not later
than 2 years after the date of the enactment of S. 2661, and
annually thereafter, the FCC shall submit to various named
congressional committees a report that (1) details the status
in each State 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 or political subdivision
thereof for any purpose other than the purpose for which any
such fees or charges are specified.
Subsection (c) would define five key terms used throughout
the section.
Today Lifeline is partially funded by SAMHSA within the
Department of Health and Human Services, and the Veterans
Crisis Line by the Veterans Affairs Administration, in addition
to the funding provided by States and community partners for
local crisis call centers. The Committee does not intend for
the Act's designation of 9-8-8 as the universal telephone
number for national suicide prevention and mental health to
change that--the Act would designate the number for the hotline
operated through SAMHSA and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
The Committee does not intend for the Act to shift funding
for 9-8-8 services away from the current sources to commercial
mobile service or IP-enabled voice service providers. To the
contrary, the Committee believes that Congress should consider
providing additional funding to support those services, based
on the anticipated additional use of Lifeline resulting from
the designation of 9-8-8 for that purpose. But in the event
there is deficient funding or a shortfall in funding from
current and future sources, this section would permit States,
Indian Tribes, or villages or regional corporations serving a
region established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act to seek to supplement funding from commercial
mobile service or IP-enabled voice service providers if that
funding would be used for direct support of 9-8-8 services.
However, the Committee intends that, consistent with this
section, the ability to require fees or charges from commercial
mobile service or IP-related voice service providers is not
unlimited. First, funds collected must: (i) be specifically to
support 9-8-8 related services; (ii) be retained in a
sequestered account; and (iii) used only for permitted
purposes. Second, those permitted purposes are themselves
limited. The Committee believes that the permitted supported 9-
8-8 services must be attributed to call routing on the one hand
and staffing and direct support of the 9-8-8 hotline and 9-8-8
crisis services on the other.
Section 5. Location identification report
Subsection (a) of this section would require the FCC to
examine the feasibility and cost of including an automatic
dispatchable location that would be conveyed with a 9-8-8 call,
regardless of the technology used and including with calls from
multi-line telephone systems. The FCC would be required to
submit a report on its findings to various named congressional
committees within 180 days after enactment of this Act.
Subsection (b) of this section would define two key terms
used throughout the section. Of particular note, it would
define the term ``dispatchable location'' to mean 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.
Section 6. Report on certain training programs
Subsection (a) of this section would express that it is the
sense of the Senate that:
LGBTQ youth are four times more likely to
contemplate suicide than their peers.
One in five LGBTQ youth and more than one in three
transgender youth report attempting suicide within the
past year.
SAMHSA must be equipped to provide specialized
resources to this at-risk community.
Subsection (b) of this section would require the Assistant
Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Abuse to submit a
report to various named congressional committees within 180
days of enactment that does the following:
Details a strategy for SAMHSA to offer, support, or
provide technical assistance to training programs for
Lifeline counselors that is developed through
consultation with organizations with expertise in the
suicide of LGBTQ youth and other high-risk populations;
Includes recommendations regarding facilitating
access to services provided by specially trained staff
and partner organizations for LGBTQ individuals and
other high-risk populations; and
Includes recommendations regarding a strategy for
optimally implementing an Integrated Voice Response, or
other equally effective mechanism, to allow LGBTQ youth
or high-risk population callers to Lifeline to access
specialized services.
Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes made by the bill, to
existing law at the time the bill was ordered reported, are
shown as follows: (existing law proposed to be omitted is
enclosed in brackets, new matter is printed in italic, and
existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman):
COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1934
* * * * * * *
[47 U.S.C. 251(e)]
SEC. 251. INTERCONNECTION.
(a) * * *
(b) * * *
(c) * * *
(d) * * *
(e) Numbering Administration.--
(1) * * *
(2) * * *
(3) * * *
(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 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.
* * * * * * *
[all]