National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2019
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to designate 9–8–8 as the universal telephone number for a national suicide prevention and mental-health crisis hotline.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4194 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4194
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 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. Cardenas, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr.
Cisneros, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Cole, Mr. Collins of
New York, Mr. Crawford, Mr. Curtis, Mr. DeFazio, Ms. Barragan, Mrs.
Dingell, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Gallagher, 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. Velazquez,
Mr. Waltz, and Mrs. Watson Coleman) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
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 crisis hotline system operating through the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline and through the Veterans Crisis Line, and for other
purposes.
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 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 Communications Act of 1934
(47 U.S.C. 251(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(4) Universal telephone number for national suicide
prevention and mental health crisis hotline system.--The
Commission and any agency or entity to which the Commission has
delegated 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 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 enactment 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 Commission regulation or order may prevent the
imposition 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 specified 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 efficiency, transparency,
and accountability in the collection and expenditure of a fee or charge
for the support or implementation of 9-8-8 services, not later than 1
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually
thereafter, the Commission shall submit to the Committees on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation and Appropriations of the Senate and the
Committees on Energy and Commerce and Appropriations of the House of
Representatives a report that--
(1) details the status in each State of the collection and
distribution of such fees or charges; and
(2) includes findings on the amount of revenues obligated
or expended by each State or political subdivision thereof for
any purpose other than the purpose for which any such fees or
charges are specified.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Commercial mobile service.--The term ``commercial
mobile service'' has the meaning given that term under section
332(d) of the Communications 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 regulations (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 meaning 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 examines 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 defined in section 6502 of
the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C.
1471) identification or equivalent information features over the 9-8-8
network.
(b) Definition.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate committees.--The term ``appropriate
committees'' means the following:
(A) The Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate.
(B) The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate.
(C) The Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives.
(2) Dispatchable location.--The term ``dispatchable
location'' means the street address of the calling party and
additional information such as room number, floor number, or
similar information necessary to adequately identify the
location of the calling party.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
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