CALL Act of 2023

Create Accountability and Liability Against Lifeline Attacks Act of 2023 or the CALL Act of 2023

This bill establishes a new criminal offense for intentionally impeding the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (including the Veterans Crisis Line).

Specifically, the bill prohibits an individual from making a wire communication or an electronic communication to the lifeline with the intent to impede the provision of services through or the operation of the lifeline. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to six months, or both.

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3648 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3648

    To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit people from 
intentionally impeding the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline telephone 
                    number, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 24, 2023

Mr. Moulton (for himself, Mr. Stewart, and Mr. Cardenas) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit people from 
intentionally impeding the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline telephone 
                    number, 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 ``Create Accountability and Liability 
Against Lifeline Attacks Act of 2023'' or the ``CALL Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. INTENTIONALLY IMPEDING THE 9-8-8 SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE 
              TELEPHONE NUMBER.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 47 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 1041. Intentionally impeding the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis 
              lifeline telephone number
    ``(a) Offense.--Whoever makes a wire communication or an electronic 
communication to the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline telephone number 
(including the veterans crisis line) with the intent to impede the 
provision of services through, or the operation of, the 9-8-8 suicide 
and crisis lifeline telephone number shall be fined in an amount that 
does not exceed $1,500 or imprisoned not more than 6 months, or both.
    ``(b) Definitions.--In this section, the terms `wire communication' 
and `electronic communication' have the meanings given such terms in 
section 2510.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 47 of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item 
related to section 1040 the following:

``1041. Intentionally impeding the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline 
                            telephone number.''.
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