I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 896
To facilitate nationwide availability of 2–1–1 telephone service for information 
and referral on health and human services, including volunteer services, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 17, 2005
Mr. BILIRAKIS (for himself, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. UPTON, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. MAR-
KEY, Mr. INSLEE, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. RUSH, Mr. TOWNS, Ms. SLAUGHTER, 
and Mr. WAXMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To facilitate nationwide availability of 2–1–1 telephone serv-
ice for information and referral on health and human 
services, including volunteer services, and for other pur-
poses.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Calling for 2–1–1 Act 
of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Federal Communications Commission 
has assigned 2–1–1 as the national telephone num-
ber for telephone service for information and referral 
on human services, declaring that 2–1–1 best satis-
fies the public interest in allotting the limited re-
source of this abbreviated number. In 2005, the 
Commission will assess the widespread utilization of 
the 2–1–1 telephone number and evaluate whether 
to continue the assignment of that telephone number 
for that service. 
(2) The number ‘‘2–1–1’’ is an easy-to-remem-
ber telephone number that facilitates critical connec-
tions between individuals and families seeking serv-
ices, volunteer opportunities, or both and appro-
priate human service agencies, including community-
based and faith-based organizations and government 
agencies. 
(3) There are approximately 1,500,000 non-
profit organizations in the United States. Individuals 
and families often find it difficult to navigate 
through a complex and ever-growing maze of human 
service agencies and programs, spending inordinate 
amounts of time trying to identify an agency or pro-
gram that provides a service that may be imme-
diately or urgently required and often abandoning
the search from frustration or a lack of quality in-
formation. 
(4) At the Federal, State, and local levels, gov-
ernment funding supports well-intentioned programs 
that are not fully utilized because of a lack of access 
to and information on such programs by the public. 
Program administrators have indicated that there is 
a need for a simple way to connect those eligible for 
programs with available program resources. 2–1–1 
telephone service will reduce the number of inappro-
priate calls to government offices by directing con-
sumers to the appropriate human services agency, 
resulting in a more effective use of government serv-
ices. 
(5) A national cost benefit analysis conducted 
by the University of Texas estimates a net value to 
society of a national 2–1–1 system approaching 
$130,000,000 in the first year alone and a conserv-
ative estimate of nearly $1,100,000,000 over 10 
years. 
(6) Many families need information on govern-
ment and not-for-profit services that provide high 
quality health care, public health information related 
to bioterrorism threats, mental health services, drug 
treatment, elder care, help for victims of domestic vi-
olence, disaster recovery, and volunteer opportuni-
ties. 
(7) Individuals often need support, services, or 
both when suffering emotional distress, having suici-
dal thoughts or behavior, contemplating violence, or 
using drugs or alcohol. 
(8) Americans desire to volunteer and become 
involved in their communities. This desire, together 
with a desire to donate to organizations which pro-
vide human services, are among the reasons to con-
tact a center which provides information and referral 
on volunteer opportunities and human services. A 
simple call to 2–1–1 will help a citizen find the vol-
unteer opportunity they seek. 
(9) Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist 
attacks, an estimated 400 telephone hotlines were 
established in New York, New York, for various 
funds and services, creating a confusing network for 
victims and volunteers to navigate. A Comptroller 
General report on charitable aid following the ter-
rorist attacks found that ‘‘families of victims gen-
erally believed they had to navigate a maze of service 
providers in the early months’’ and that ‘‘good infor-
mation about and easy access to available assistance 
could help survivors in the recovery process’’.
(10) The 107th Congress recognized the impor-
tance of 2–1–1 telephone service in community pre-
paredness and response by including use of that tele-
phone number for public information as an allowable 
use of funds under grants for preparedness and re-
sponse to bioterrorism and other public health emer-
gencies under section 319C–1 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d–3a), as added by sec-
tion 131 of the Public Health Security and Bioter-
rorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 
(Public Law 107–188). 
(11) While 37 percent of the population has ac-
cess to 2–1–1 telephone service in 29 States, inad-
equate funding prevents access to that telephone 
service throughout each of the States. 2–1–1 tele-
phone service is currently available statewide only in 
9 States. 
(12) Rapid deployment nationwide of 2–1–1 
telephone service as a means of access to informa-
tion about and referral on human services requires 
collaboration among State governments, comprehen-
sive and specialized information and referral centers, 
including Child Care Resource and Referral Agen-
cies, human service organizations and service pro-
viders, emergency management and homeland secu-
rity officials, telephone companies, and other rel-
evant entities. 
(13) 2–1–1 telephone service facilitates the 
availability of a single repository where comprehen-
sive data on all community services is collected, 
maintained, and updated regularly, reducing costs 
and duplication of efforts. The reliable data provided 
through 2–1–1 telephone service helps to better as-
sess the needs of our communities and to imme-
diately mobilize resources toward those needs. 
SEC. 3. GRANTS TO FACILITATE NATIONWIDE AVAIL-
ABILITY OF 2–1–1 SERVICE FOR INFORMA-
TION AND REFERRAL ON HUMAN SERVICES. 
(a) GRANTS REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Health 
and Human Services shall award a grant to each State 
to carry out a program for the purpose of making 2–1–
1 telephone service available to all citizens in the State 
for information and referral on health and human services, 
including volunteer services. These grant dollars shall not 
supplant existing funding streams or services. 
(b) GRANT TO BE AVAILABLE FOR EACH STATE.—
In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall 
develop a formula for allocating grant amounts among the 
States so that a grant may be awarded to each State seek-
ing a grant.
(c) REQUIREMENT ON SHARE OF ACTIVITIES.—
(1) REQUIREMENT.—A State may not be 
awarded a grant under this section unless the State 
ensures that at least 50 percent of the resources of 
the program funded by the grant will be derived 
from other sources. 
(2) IN-KIND
CONTRIBUTIONS.—The require-
ment in paragraph (1) may be satisfied by in-kind 
contributions of goods or services. 
(d) LEAD ENTITY.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—A State seeking a grant 
under this section shall carry out this section 
through a lead entity meeting the requirements of 
this subsection. 
(2) 2–1–1 COLLABORATIVE.—An entity shall be 
treated as the 2–1–1 Collaborative for a State under 
this subsection if the entity—
(A) exists for such purpose under State 
law; 
(B) exists for such purpose by order of the 
State public utility commission; or 
(C) is a collaborative entity established by 
the State for such purpose from among rep-
resentatives of—
(i) an informal existing 2–1–1 state-
wide collaborative, if any, in the State; 
(ii) State agencies; 
(iii) community-based organizations; 
(iv) faith-based organizations; 
(v) not-for-profit organizations; 
(vi) comprehensive and specialized in-
formation and referral providers, including 
current 2–1–1 call centers; 
(vii) foundations; and 
(viii) businesses. 
(3) REQUIREMENTS
FOR
PREEXISTING
LEAD 
ENTITIES.—An entity described by subparagraph 
(A) or (B) of paragraph (2) may be treated as a 
lead entity under this subsection only if such entity 
collaborates, to the extent practicable, with the orga-
nizations and entities listed in subparagraph (C) of 
that paragraph. 
(e) APPLICATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The lead entity on behalf of 
each State seeking a grant under this section shall 
submit to the Secretary an application therefore in 
such form as the Secretary shall require.
(2) INFORMATION.—An application on behalf of 
a State under this subsection shall contain informa-
tion as follows: 
(A) Information on the program to be car-
ried out by the lead entity of the State so that 
every citizen with phone service may dial the 2–
1–1 telephone service in order to plan to make 
available throughout the State 2–1–1 telephone 
service for information and referral on human 
services, including information on the manner 
in which the lead entity will develop, sustain, 
and evaluate the program. 
(B) Information on the sources of re-
sources for the program for purposes of meet-
ing the requirement in subsection (c). 
(C) There should be a statewide database 
available to all citizens as well as all human 
service programs, through the Internet, that 
will allow them to search for programs or serv-
ices that are available according to the data 
gathered by the 2–1–1 programs in the State. 
(D) Any additional information that the 
Secretary may require for purposes of this sec-
tion. 
(f) SUBGRANTS.—
(1) AUTHORITY.—In carrying out a program to 
make 2–1–1 telephone service available throughout a 
State at no charge to the caller, the lead entity of 
the State may make subgrants to such persons or 
entities as the lead entity considers appropriate for 
purposes of the program, including subgrants to pro-
vide funds—
(A) for the provision of 2–1–1 telephone 
service; 
(B) for the operation and maintenance of 
2–1–1 call centers; and 
(C) for the collection and display of infor-
mation for the statewide database. 
(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In awarding a subgrant 
under this subsection, a lead entity shall consider—
(A) the ability of the person or entity seek-
ing the subgrant to carry out activities or pro-
vide services consistent with the program; 
(B) the extent to which the award of the 
subgrant will facilitate equitable geographic dis-
tribution of subgrants under this section to en-
sure that rural communities have access to 2–
1–1 telephone service; and 
(C) the extent to which the recipient of the 
subgrant will establish and maintain cooperative
relationships with specialized information and 
referral centers, including Child Care Resource 
Referral Agencies, crisis centers, 9–1–1 call 
centers, and 3–1–1 call centers, if applicable. 
(g) USE OF GRANT AND SUBGRANT AMOUNTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Amounts awarded as grants 
or subgrants under this section shall be used solely 
to make available 2–1–1 telephone service for com-
munity information and referral on human services 
to all citizens of the State with phone access, includ-
ing telephone connections between families and indi-
viduals seeking such services and the providers of 
such services. 
(2) PARTICULAR MATTERS.—In making 2–1–1 
telephone service available, the recipient of a grant 
or subgrant shall, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable—
(A) abide by the Key Standards for 2–1–
1 Centers as specified in the Standards for Pro-
fessional Information and Referral Require-
ments for Alliance of Information Referral Sys-
tems (AIRS) Accreditation and Operating 2–1–
1 Systems; and 
(B) collaborate with human service organi-
zations, whether public or private, to provide an
exhaustive database of services with which to 
provide information or referral to individuals 
utilizing 2–1–1 telephone service. 
(3) USE OF FUNDS.—Amounts of a subgrant 
under subsection (e) may be used by grantees for 
Statewide and regional planning, start-up costs (in-
cluding costs of software and hardware upgrades 
and telecommunications costs), training, accredita-
tion, public awareness, evaluation of activities, Inter-
net hosting and site development and maintenance 
for a statewide database, database integration 
projects that incorporate data from different 2–1–1 
programs to a single statewide database, and the 
provision of 2–1–1 telephone service. 
(h) REQUIREMENT
ON
ALLOCATION
OF
GRANT 
AMOUNTS.—Of the amounts awarded under this section, 
an aggregate of not more than 15 percent shall be allo-
cated for evaluation, training, and technical assistance, 
and for management and administration of subgrants 
awarded under this section. 
(i) REPORTS.—The lead entity of each State awarded 
a grant under this section for a fiscal year shall submit 
to the Secretary, not later than 60 days after the end of 
such fiscal year, a report on the program funded by the 
grant. Each report shall—
(1) describe the program funding by the grant; 
(2) assess the effectiveness of the program in 
making available to all citizens with phone service 
State 2–1–1 telephone service for information and 
referral on human services in accordance with the 
provisions of this section; and 
(3) assess the effectiveness of collaboration with 
human service resource and referral entitles and 
service providers. 
(j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) HUMAN
SERVICES.—The term ‘‘human 
services’’ means services as follows: 
(A) Services that assist individuals in be-
coming more self-sufficient, in preventing de-
pendency, and in strengthening family relation-
ships. 
(B) Services that support personal and so-
cial development. 
(C) Services that help ensure the health 
and well-being of individuals, families, and com-
munities. 
(2) INFORMATION AND REFERRAL CENTER.—
The term ‘‘information and referral center’’ means 
a center that—
(A) maintains a database of providers of 
human services in a State or locality; 
(B) assists individuals, families, and com-
munities in identifying, understanding, and ac-
cessing the providers of human services and the 
human services offered by the providers of such 
services; and 
(C) tracks types of calls referred and re-
ceived to document the demands for services. 
(3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the sev-
eral States, the District of Columbia, the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, 
American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this Act, for fiscal years 2006 and 
2007, $150,000,000, and for each of fiscal years 2008 
through 2011, $100,000,000. 
(b) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts appropriated pursuant 
to the authorization of appropriations in subsection (a) 
shall remain available until expended.
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