(7) 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. 
(8) 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’’. 
(9) 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). 
(10) While 20 percent of the population has ac-
cess to 2–1–1 telephone service in 21 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 
Connecticut and Hawaii. 
(11) 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, 
human service organizations and service providers, 
emergency management and homeland security offi-
cials, telephone companies, and other relevant enti-
ties. 
(12) 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 Com-
merce shall award a grant to each State to carry out a 
program for the purpose of making available throughout 
such State 2–1–1 telephone service for information and 
referral on human 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) community-based organizations; 
(iii) faith-based organizations; 
(iv) not-for-profit organizations; 
(v) comprehensive and specialized in-
formation and referral providers, including 
current 2–1–1 call centers; 
(vi) foundations; and 
(vii) 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 the such en-
tity collaborates, to the extent practicable, with the 
organizations 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 therefor 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 in order 
to plan to make available throughout the State 
2–1–1 telephone service for information and re-
ferral on human services, including information 
on the manner in which the lead entity will de-
velop, 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).