IB 
Union Calendar No. 646 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2345 
[Report No. 115–836] 
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 3, 2017 
Mr. STEWART (for himself, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. 
MCKINLEY, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. THOMP-
SON of Pennsylvania, and Mr. BISHOP of Utah) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
JULY 18, 2018 
Additional sponsors: Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. O’ROURKE, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. 
DONOVAN, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. CURBELO of Florida, Mr. JOYCE of Ohio, 
Mr. KATKO, Ms. ESHOO, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. 
KILMER, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Ms. 
ROSEN, Mr. ROKITA, Mr. RUTHERFORD, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Mr. ROE 
of Tennessee, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mr. MESSER, Mr. SCHNEIDER, 
Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. BEYER, Mr. JONES, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. HAS-
TINGS, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. TONKO, Ms. NORTON, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Mr. 
BACON, Mr. COOPER, Mr. BRAT, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. 
WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana, Mr. FLORES, Mr. 
WITTMAN, Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. THOMAS J. ROONEY of 
Florida, Mr. NEWHOUSE, Mr. ROUZER, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. LAMALFA, 
Mr. HULTGREN, Mr. WENSTRUP, Mr. COLE, Mr. PITTENGER, Mr. 
ALLEN, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. BABIN, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. 
CALVERT, Mr. CURTIS, Mrs. LOVE, Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN, Mr. YOUNG of 
Alaska, Mr. PERLMUTTER, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. RUSH, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS 
of Illinois, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. SEAN PATRICK 
MALONEY of New York, Mr. POCAN, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. 
BILIRAKIS, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsyl-
vania, Mr. OLSON, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. 
LOEBSACK, Mrs. COMSTOCK, Mr. AGUILAR, Mr. CRAWFORD, Mr. LANCE, 
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Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana, Mr. CARBAJAL, Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRIS-
HAM of New Mexico, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. YOUNG of Iowa, Mr. HUNTER, 
Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. BISHOP
of Michigan, Mr. 
GIANFORTE, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. SWALWELL of California, Mr. ROSS, 
Mr. BROWN of Maryland, Mrs. DINGELL, Mrs. DEMINGS, Mr. STIVERS, 
Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. CORREA, Mr. POSEY, Mr. GRIFFITH, Ms. DELBENE, 
Miss RICE of New York, Mr. WALDEN, Mr. EMMER, Mr. JENKINS of 
West Virginia, and Mrs. MURPHY of Florida 
JULY 18, 2018 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 3, 2017] 
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. 
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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 Improvement Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Federal 
Communications Commission; 
(2) the term ‘‘covered dialing code’’ means a sim-
ple, easy-to-remember, 3-digit dialing code; and 
(3) the term ‘‘N11 dialing code’’ means an abbre-
viated dialing code consisting of 3 digits, of which— 
(A) the first digit may be any digit other 
than ‘‘1’’ or ‘‘0’’; and 
(B) each of the last 2 digits is ‘‘1’’. 
SEC. 3. STUDIES AND REPORTS. 
(a) PRIMARY STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission, in coordina-
tion with the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health 
and Substance Use and the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs, shall conduct a study that— 
(A) examines the feasibility of designating 
an N11 dialing code or other covered dialing 
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code to be used for a national suicide prevention 
and mental health crisis hotline system; and 
(B) analyzes the effectiveness of the Na-
tional Suicide Prevention Lifeline as of the date 
on which the study is initiated, including how 
well the lifeline is working to address the needs 
of veterans. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.— 
(A) COMMISSION.—In conducting the study 
under paragraph (1), the Commission shall— 
(i) consider— 
(I) each of the N11 dialing codes, 
including the codes that are used for 
other purposes; and 
(II) other covered dialing codes; 
(ii) consult with the North American 
Numbering Council; and 
(iii) review the information provided 
by the Assistant Secretary for Mental 
Health and Substance Use and the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs under subpara-
graphs (B) and (C), respectively, of this 
paragraph. 
(B) SAMHSA STUDY AND REPORT TO AS-
SIST COMMISSION.—To assist the Commission in 
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conducting the study under paragraph (1), the 
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Sub-
stance Use shall analyze and, not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, re-
port to the Commission on— 
(i) the potential impact of the designa-
tion of an N11 dialing code, or other cov-
ered dialing code, for a suicide prevention 
and mental health crisis hotline system 
on— 
(I) suicide prevention; 
(II) crisis services; and 
(III) other suicide prevention and 
mental health crisis hotlines, includ-
ing— 
(aa) the National Suicide 
Prevention Lifeline; and 
(bb) the Veterans Crisis Line; 
and 
(ii) possible recommendations for im-
proving the National Suicide Prevention 
Lifeline generally, which may include— 
(I) increased public education and 
awareness; and 
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(II) improved infrastructure and 
operations. 
(C) VA STUDY AND REPORT TO ASSIST COM-
MISSION.—To assist the Commission in con-
ducting the study under paragraph (1), the Sec-
retary of Veterans Affairs shall study and, not 
later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, report to the Commission on how 
well the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 
and the Veterans Crisis Line, as in effect on the 
date on which the study is initiated, is working 
to address the needs of veterans. 
(b) PRIMARY COMMISSION REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission, in 
coordination with the Assistant Secretary for Mental 
Health and Substance Use and the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs, shall submit a report on the study con-
ducted under subsection (a) that recommends whether 
a particular N11 dialing code or other covered dial-
ing code should be used for a national suicide preven-
tion and mental health crisis hotline system to— 
(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate; 
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(B) the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; 
(C) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the Senate; 
(D) the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce of the House of Representatives; and 
(E) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the House of Representatives. 
(2) ADDITIONAL CONTENTS.—If the report sub-
mitted by the Commission under paragraph (1) rec-
ommends that a dialing code should be used, the re-
port shall also— 
(A) outline the logistics of designating such 
a dialing code; 
(B) estimate the costs associated with desig-
nating such a dialing code, including— 
(i) the costs incurred by service pro-
viders, including— 
(I) translation changes in the net-
work; and 
(II) cell site analysis and re-
programming by wireless carriers; and 
(ii) the costs incurred by States and lo-
calities; 
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(C) provide recommendations for desig-
nating such a dialing code; 
(D) provide a cost-benefit analysis com-
paring the recommended dialing code with the 
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, as in effect 
on the date on which the report is submitted; 
and 
(E) make other recommendations, as appro-
priate, for improving the National Suicide Pre-
vention Lifeline generally, which may include— 
(i) increased public education and 
awareness; and 
(ii) improved infrastructure and oper-
ations. 
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Union Calendar No. 646 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2345 
[Report No. 115–836] 
A BILL 
To require the Federal Communications Commis-
sion to study the feasibility of designating a sim-
ple, easy-to-remember dialing code to be used for 
a national suicide prevention and mental health 
crisis hotline system. 
JULY 18, 2018 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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