IC 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1015 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 8, 2017 

Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the 

Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

AN ACT 

To require the Federal Communications Commission to study 

the feasibility of designating a simple, easy-to-remember 

dialing code to be used for a national suicide prevention 

and mental health crisis hotline system. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Suicide Hot3 line Improvement Act of 2017’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act— 

6 (1) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Federal 

7 Communications Commission; 

8 (2) the term ‘‘covered dialing code’’ means a 

9 simple, easy-to-remember, 3-digit dialing code; and 

10 (3) the term ‘‘N11 dialing code’’ means an ab11 breviated dialing code consisting of 3 digits, of 

12 which— 

13 (A) the first digit may be any digit other 

14 than ‘‘1’’ or ‘‘0’’; and 

15 (B) each of the last 2 digits is ‘‘1’’. 

16 SEC. 3. STUDIES AND REPORTS. 

17 (a) PRIMARY STUDY.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission, in coordi19 nation with the Assistant Secretary for Mental 

20 Health and Substance Use and the Secretary of Vet21 erans Affairs, shall conduct a study that— 

22 (A) examines the feasibility of designating 

23 an N11 dialing code or other covered dialing 

24 code to be used for a national suicide preven25 tion and mental health crisis hotline system; 

26 and 


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1 (B) analyzes the effectiveness of the Na2 tional Suicide Prevention Lifeline as of the date 

3 on which the study is initiated, including how 

4 well the lifeline is working to address the needs 

5 of veterans. 

6 (2) REQUIREMENTS.— 

7 (A) COMMISSION.—In conducting the 

8 study under paragraph (1), the Commission 

9 shall— 

10 (i) consider— 

11 (I) each of the N11 dialing codes, 

12 including the codes that are used for 

13 other purposes; and 

14 (II) other covered dialing codes; 

15 (ii) consult with the North American 

16 Numbering Council; and 

17 (iii) review the information provided 

18 by the Assistant Secretary for Mental 

19 Health and Substance Use and the Sec20 retary of Veterans Affairs under subpara21 graphs (B) and (C), respectively, of this 

22 paragraph. 

23 (B) SAMHSA STUDY AND REPORT TO AS24 SIST COMMISSION.—To assist the Commission 

25 in conducting the study under paragraph (1), 


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1 the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and 

2 Substance Use shall analyze and, not later than 

3 180 days after the date of enactment of this 

4 Act, report to the Commission on— 

5 (i) the potential impact of the des6 ignation of an N11 dialing code, or other 

7 covered dialing code, for a suicide preven8 tion and mental health crisis hotline sys9 tem on— 

10 (I) suicide prevention; 

11 (II) crisis services; and 

12 (III) other suicide prevention and 

13 mental health crisis hotlines, includ14 ing— 

15 (aa) the National Suicide 

16 Prevention Lifeline; and 

17 (bb) the Veterans Crisis 

18 Line; and 

19 (ii) possible recommendations for im20 proving the National Suicide Prevention 

21 Lifeline generally, which may include— 

22 (I) increased public education 

23 and awareness; and 

24 (II) improved infrastructure and 

25 operations. 


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1 (C) VA STUDY AND REPORT TO ASSIST

2 COMMISSION.—To assist the Commission in 

3 conducting the study under paragraph (1), the 

4 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall study and, 

5 not later than 180 days after the date of enact6 ment of this Act, report to the Commission on 

7 how well the National Suicide Prevention Life8 line and the Veterans Crisis Line, as in effect 

9 on the date on which the study is initiated, is 

10 working to address the needs of veterans. 

11 (b) PRIMARY COMMISSION REPORT.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

13 the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission, 

14 in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for 

15 Mental Health and Substance Use and the Secretary 

16 of Veterans Affairs, shall submit a report on the 

17 study conducted under subsection (a) that rec18 ommends whether a particular N11 dialing code or 

19 other covered dialing code should be used for a na20 tional suicide prevention and mental health crisis 

21 hotline system to— 

22 (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

23 and Transportation of the Senate; 

24 (B) the Committee on Health, Education, 

25 Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; and 


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1 (C) the Committee on Energy and Com2 merce of the House of Representatives. 

3 (2) ADDITIONAL CONTENTS.—If the report sub4 mitted by the Commission under paragraph (1) rec5 ommends that a dialing code should be used, the re6 port shall also— 

7 (A) outline the logistics of designating 

8 such a dialing code; 

9 (B) estimate the costs associated with des10 ignating such a dialing code, including— 

11 (i) the costs incurred by service pro12 viders, including— 

13 (I) translation changes in the 

14 network; and 

15 (II) cell site analysis and re16 programming by wireless carriers; and 

17 (ii) the costs incurred by States and 

18 localities; 

19 (C) provide recommendations for desig20 nating such a dialing code; 

21 (D) provide a cost-benefit analysis com22 paring the recommended dialing code with the 

23 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, as in ef24 fect on the date on which the report is sub25 mitted; and 


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1 (E) make other recommendations, as ap2 propriate, for improving the National Suicide 

3 Prevention Lifeline generally, which may in4 clude— 

5 (i) increased public education and 

6 awareness; and 

7 (ii) improved infrastructure and oper8 ations. 

Passed the Senate November 7, 2017. 

Attest: JULIE E. ADAMS, 

Secretary. 


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