Title: National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2017
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2017
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to coordinate with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and to consult with the Department of Veterans Affairs to examine: (1) the feasibility of designating a three-digit dialing code for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system; and (2) the effectiveness of the current National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK), including how well it addresses the needs of veterans.
The FCC must submit to Congress a recommended dialing code, a cost-benefit analysis comparing the three-digit code to the current lifeline number, and cost estimates for service providers, states, and localities.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1015 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Suicide Hotline Improvement 
Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 
        suicide rates in the United States have surged to their highest 
        levels in nearly 30 years.
            (2) The overall suicide rate rose by 24 percent from 1999 
        to 2014.
            (3) The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-
        TALK [8255]), created under the leadership of the Center for 
        Mental Health Services of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
        Services Administration (commonly known as ``SAMHSA''), is a 
        network of 161 crisis centers that provide a toll-free hotline 
        24 hours a day, 7 days a week to anyone experiencing a mental 
        health or suicidal emergency or crisis.
            (4) In 1967, the President's Commission on Law Enforcement 
        and Administration of Justice recommended the creation of a 
        single telephone number that could be used nationwide for 
        reporting emergencies.
            (5) In 1968, the Federal Communications Commission agreed 
        upon the number 9-1-1, one of eight N11 dialing codes, as a 
        simple, easy-to-remember telephone number to be the dedicated 
        number for reporting emergencies, and 9-1-1 became the national 
        emergency number for individuals in the United States to access 
        police, fire, and ambulance services.
            (6) Based on the success of the 9-1-1 nationwide emergency 
        number, a study by the Federal Communications Commission 
        regarding the use of a simple, easy-to-remember dedicated 3-
        digit dialing code for a suicide prevention and mental health 
        crisis hotline system would be beneficial in the prevention of 
        suicide nationwide.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Assistant Secretary'' means the Assistant 
        Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use;
            (2) the term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission;
            (3) the term ``covered dialing code'' means a simple, easy-
        to-remember, 3-digit dialing code; and
            (4) the term ``N11 dialing code'' means an abbreviated 
        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. 4. FCC STUDY AND REPORT.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission, in coordination with the 
        Assistant Secretary, shall conduct a study that--
                    (A) examines the feasibility of designating an N11 
                dialing code or other covered dialing code to be used 
                for a national suicide prevention and mental health 
                crisis hotline system; and
                    (B) analyzes the effectiveness of the current 
                National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, including how 
                well the lifeline is working to address the needs of 
                veterans.
            (2) Requirements.--In conducting the study under paragraph 
        (1), the Commission shall--
                    (A) request that the Assistant Secretary study and 
                report to the Commission on the potential impact of the 
                designation of an N11 dialing code, or other covered 
                dialing code, for a suicide prevention and mental 
                health crisis hotline system on--
                            (i) suicide prevention;
                            (ii) crisis services;
                            (iii) the National Suicide Prevention 
                        Lifeline; and
                            (iv) the Veterans Crisis Line;
                    (B) consider--
                            (i) each of the N11 dialing codes, 
                        including the codes that are used for other 
                        purposes; and
                            (ii) other covered dialing codes;
                    (C) consult with the North American Numbering 
                Council; and
                    (D) consult with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
                with respect to how well the current National Suicide 
                Prevention Lifeline is working to address the needs of 
                veterans.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Commission shall submit to Congress a report on the study 
conducted under subsection (a) that--
            (1) recommends a particular N11 dialing code or other 
        covered dialing code to be used for a national suicide 
        prevention and mental health crisis hotline system;
            (2) outlines the logistics of designating such a dialing 
        code;
            (3) estimates the costs associated with designating such a 
        dialing code, including--
                    (A) the costs incurred by service providers, 
                including--
                            (i) translation changes in the network; and
                            (ii) cell site analysis and reprogramming 
                        by wireless carriers; and
                    (B) the costs incurred by States and localities;
            (4) provides legislative recommendations for designating 
        such a dialing code;
            (5) provides a cost-benefit analysis comparing the 
        recommended dialing code with the current National Suicide 
        Prevention Lifeline; and
            (6) makes other recommendations for improving the national 
        suicide prevention lifeline system generally, which may 
        include--
                    (A) increased funding;
                    (B) increased public education and awareness; and
                    (C) improved infrastructure and operations.
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