I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4194 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal Communica-
tions Commission 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. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 20, 2019 
Mr. STEWART (for himself, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. GIANFORTE, Ms. JOHNSON of 
Texas, Mr. BALDERSON, Mr. BERGMAN, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mr. 
BROWN of Maryland, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. CARSON of In-
diana, Mr. CISNEROS, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. 
COLE, Mr. COLLINS of New York, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. CURTIS, Mr. 
DEFAZIO, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. GAL-
LAGHER, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. KING of New 
York, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. MCKINLEY, Mrs. RODGERS 
of Washington, Mr. MOOLENAAR, Ms. NORTON, Mr. OLSON, Mr. PAYNE, 
Mr. RASKIN, Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee, Mr. ROSE of New York, 
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. RUTHERFORD, Mr. RYAN, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. 
SIRES, Mr. SOTO, Mr. STEIL, Mr. STIVERS, Mr. TURNER, Ms. 
VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. WALTZ, and Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce 
A BILL 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the 
Federal Communications Commission to designate 9–8– 
8 as the universal telephone number for the purpose 
of the national suicide prevention and mental health cri-
sis hotline system operating through the National Suicide 
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Prevention Lifeline and through the Veterans Crisis 
Line, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘National Suicide Hot-
line Designation Act of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. UNIVERSAL TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR NATIONAL 
SUICIDE PREVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH 
CRISIS HOTLINE SYSTEM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 251(e) of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 251(e)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) UNIVERSAL TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR NA-
TIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION AND MENTAL HEALTH 
CRISIS HOTLINE SYSTEM.—The Commission and any 
agency or entity to which the Commission has dele-
gated authority under this subsection shall designate 
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 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 
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maintained by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
under section 1720F(h) of title 38, United States 
Code. The designation shall apply to both wireline 
and wireless telephone service.’’. 
(b) DEADLINE.—The designation required by the 
amendment made by subsection (a) shall be made not later 
than the date that is 1 year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
SEC. 3. STATE AUTHORITY OVER FEES. 
(a) AUTHORITY.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act, any 
amendment made by this Act, the Communications 
Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.), or any Com-
mission regulation or order may prevent the imposi-
tion and collection of a fee or charge applicable to 
a commercial mobile service or an IP-enabled voice 
service specifically designated by a State, a political 
subdivision of a State, an Indian Tribe, or village or 
regional corporation serving a region established 
pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement 
Act (43 U.S.C. 1601–1624; 85 Stat. 688 et seq.) for 
the support or implementation of 9–8–8 services, if 
the fee or charge is held in a sequestered account to 
be obligated or expended only in support of 9–8–8 
services, or enhancements of such services, as speci-
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fied in the provision of State or local law adopting 
the fee or charge. 
(2) LIMIT ON FEE OR CHARGE.—For each class 
of subscribers to IP-enabled voice services, the fee or 
charge may not exceed the amount of any such fee 
or charge applicable to the same class of subscribers 
to telecommunications services. 
(b) FEE ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT.—To ensure effi-
ciency, transparency, and accountability in the collection 
and expenditure of a fee or charge for the support or im-
plementation of 9–8–8 services, not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually there-
after, the Commission shall submit to the Committees on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Appropria-
tions of the Senate and the Committees on Energy and 
Commerce and Appropriations of the House of Represent-
atives a report that— 
(1) details the status in each State of the collec-
tion and distribution of such fees or charges; and 
(2) includes findings on the amount of revenues 
obligated or expended by each State or political sub-
division thereof for any purpose other than the pur-
pose for which any such fees or charges are speci-
fied. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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(1) COMMERCIAL MOBILE SERVICE.—The term 
‘‘commercial mobile service’’ has the meaning given 
that term under section 332(d) of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 332(d)). 
(2) IP-ENABLED
VOICE
SERVICE.—The term 
‘‘IP-enabled voice service’’ has the meaning given 
that term by section 9.3 of the Commission’s regula-
tions (47 C.F.R. 9.3), as those regulations may be 
amended by the Commission from time to time. 
(3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ has the mean-
ing given that term in section 7 of the Wireless 
Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999 (47 
U.S.C. 615b). 
(4) 
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SERVICE.—The 
term ‘‘telecommunications service’’ has the meaning 
given that term in section 3 of the Communications 
Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153). 
SEC. 4. LOCATION IDENTIFICATION REPORT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall 
submit to the appropriate committees a report that exam-
ines the feasibility and cost of including an automatic 
dispatchable location that would be conveyed with a 9– 
8–8 call, regardless of the technological platform used and 
including with calls from multi-line telephone systems (as 
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