II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1015 

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. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 3, 2017 

Mr. HATCH (for himself and Mr. DONNELLY) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Suicide Hot5 line Improvement Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) According to the National Center for Health 

2 Statistics, suicide rates in the United States have 

3 surged to their highest levels in nearly 30 years. 

4 (2) The overall suicide rate rose by 24 percent 

5 from 1999 to 2014. 

6 (3) The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 

7 (1–800–273–TALK [8255]), created under the lead8 ership of the Center for Mental Health Services of 

9 the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

10 Administration (commonly known as ‘‘SAMHSA’’), 

11 is a network of 161 crisis centers that provide a toll12 free hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to anyone 

13 experiencing a mental health or suicidal emergency 

14 or crisis. 

15 (4) In 1967, the President’s Commission on 

16 Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice rec17 ommended the creation of a single telephone number 

18 that could be used nationwide for reporting emer19 gencies. 

20 (5) In 1968, the Federal Communications Com21 mission agreed upon the number 9–1–1, one of eight 

22 N11 dialing codes, as a simple, easy-to-remember 

23 telephone number to be the dedicated number for re24 porting emergencies, and 9–1–1 became the national 


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1 emergency number for individuals in the United 

2 States to access police, fire, and ambulance services. 

3 (6) Based on the success of the 9–1–1 nation4 wide emergency number, a study by the Federal 

5 Communications Commission regarding the use of a 

6 simple, easy-to-remember dedicated 3-digit dialing 

7 code for a suicide prevention and mental health cri8 sis hotline system would be beneficial in the preven9 tion of suicide nationwide. 

10 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

11 In this Act— 

12 (1) the term ‘‘Assistant Secretary’’ means the 

13 Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Sub14 stance Use; 

15 (2) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Federal 

16 Communications Commission; 

17 (3) the term ‘‘covered dialing code’’ means a 

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

19 (4) the term ‘‘N11 dialing code’’ means an ab20 breviated dialing code consisting of 3 digits, of 

21 which— 

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

23 than ‘‘1’’ or ‘‘0’’; and 

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


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1 SEC. 4. FCC STUDY AND REPORT. 

2 (a) STUDY.— 

3 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission, in coordi4 nation with the Assistant Secretary, shall conduct a 

5 study that— 

6 (A) examines the feasibility of designating 

7 an N11 dialing code or other covered dialing 

8 code to be used for a national suicide preven9 tion and mental health crisis hotline system; 

10 and 

11 (B) analyzes the effectiveness of the cur12 rent National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, in13 cluding how well the lifeline is working to ad14 dress the needs of veterans. 

15 (2) REQUIREMENTS.—In conducting the study 

16 under paragraph (1), the Commission shall— 

17 (A) request that the Assistant Secretary 

18 study and report to the Commission on the po19 tential impact of the designation of an N11 di20 aling code, or other covered dialing code, for a 

21 suicide prevention and mental health crisis hot22 line system on— 

23 (i) suicide prevention; 

24 (ii) crisis services; 

25 (iii) the National Suicide Prevention 

26 Lifeline; and 


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1 (iv) the Veterans Crisis Line; 

2 (B) consider— 

3 (i) each of the N11 dialing codes, in4 cluding the codes that are used for other 

5 purposes; and 

6 (ii) other covered dialing codes; 

7 (C) consult with the North American 

8 Numbering Council; and 

9 (D) consult with the Secretary of Veterans 

10 Affairs with respect to how well the current Na11 tional Suicide Prevention Lifeline is working to 

12 address the needs of veterans. 

13 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

14 of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to 

15 Congress a report on the study conducted under sub16 section (a) that— 

17 (1) recommends a particular N11 dialing code 

18 or other covered dialing code to be used for a na19 tional suicide prevention and mental health crisis 

20 hotline system; 

21 (2) outlines the logistics of designating such a 

22 dialing code; 

23 (3) estimates the costs associated with desig24 nating such a dialing code, including— 


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1 (A) the costs incurred by service providers, 

2 including— 

3 (i) translation changes in the network; 

4 and 

5 (ii) cell site analysis and reprogram6 ming by wireless carriers; and 

7 (B) the costs incurred by States and local8 ities; 

9 (4) provides legislative recommendations for 

10 designating such a dialing code; 

11 (5) provides a cost-benefit analysis comparing 

12 the recommended dialing code with the current Na13 tional Suicide Prevention Lifeline; and 

14 (6) makes other recommendations for improving 

15 the national suicide prevention lifeline system gen16 erally, which may include— 

17 (A) increased funding; 

18 (B) increased public education and aware19 ness; and 

20 (C) improved infrastructure and oper21 ations. 

Æ 


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