President Donald Trump signed Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) and Senator Orrin Hatch’s (R-Utah) legislation, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline Improvement Act (H.R. 2345), into law.
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.
“This is a great day for Utah and a great day for the Nation. We now have the opportunity to make the National Suicide Prevention Hotline more accessible and easier to remember. By creating a hotline dialing code that is short and easy to remember, we are taking an important step towards potentially averting tragedy. This new law truly has the ability to save lives. I’m grateful that the President signed this into law in a timely manner.” – Rep. Chris Stewart
Specifically, The National Suicide Prevention Hotline Improvement Act:
Asks the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to conduct the following study:
- Recommend the best national three-digit number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline
- Examine the overall effectiveness of the current National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Veterans Crisis Line and recommend ways to improve the current system
- Perform a cost and benefit analysis of using a three-digit dialing code for this hotline system
This bill was supported by:
Utah Department of Human Services – Read their letter of support here.
Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health – Read their letter of support here.
University of Utah’s University Neuropsychiatric Institute – Read their letter of support here.
Mental Health Liaison Group (comprised of 45 national groups) – Read their letter of support here.
The full text of the legislation can be found here.
