Rep. Chris Stewart’s (R-Utah) legislation, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline Improvement Act, passed unanimously out of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
This bill aims to designate a new national 3-digit dialing code – similar to 911 – to be used for a mental health crisis and suicide prevention hotline.
“After the recent passing of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline jumped 25%. While the hotline number has increased access, I know we can do better. The current dialing code is cumbersome and hard to recall. We need to create a hotline dialing code that is short and easy to remember. It’s imperative that this legislation get signed into law quickly, and I’m grateful that the Energy and Commerce Committee is helping move it along.”
The full text of the bill can be found here.
