October 19, 2024 - WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), co-founders of the bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus, and 
Representative Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.-29), co-chair of the bipartisan House 988 & Crisis Services Task Force, applauded the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for making critical improvements to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to help callers access localized, lifesaving behavioral health resources.
On the one-year anniversary of the founding of the bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus, the FCC Board of Directors unanimously voted today to finalize the proposed rule to improve the 988 Lifeline, which contains the main provision from the lawmakers’ Local 9-8-8 Response Act of 2023. The rule will expedite the process of connecting 988 Lifeline callers with their nearest call center so they can receive appropriate care and resources from mental health professionals and local public safety officials as quickly as possible, while protecting user privacy.
Reliable, timely access to the 988 Lifeline is essential to link people experiencing suicidal ideation or a mental health crisis with immediate support. The bipartisan 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has supported millions of Americans in crisis, but currently, calls to the hotline are routed by area code rather than location. As awareness of the hotline increases, ensuring that operators can quickly connect callers to a range of mental health services and a full continuum of care is crucial.
“From a college student far from home to a parent traveling for work, Americans in crisis across the country need access to timely, localized mental health services no matter where they call from,” said Senator Padilla. “Today’s final rule to efficiently route calls to the 988 Lifeline closer to the caller’s actual location — rather than by a phone’s area code — will improve the safe delivery of lifesaving mental health care. I applaud the Federal Communications Commission for heeding our bipartisan calls for tangible solutions to give those in crisis faster access to the help they need.”
“From the creation of the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to historic mental health investments included in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, we have made substantial progress in recent years in expanding access to quality mental health care,” said Senator Tillis. “This new geo-routing policy furthers that goal by ensuring those experiencing a mental health crisis receive rapid and localized care when calling the Lifeline.”
“I want to applaud the FCC Commissioners for adopting rules to implement georouting across all carriers and taking action to improve the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline,” said Congressman Cárdenas. “Since the launch of 988, I have worked alongside my colleagues in Congress and with dedicated advocates to deliver on the promises of the lifeline. This action is the result of extensive conversations and impactful collaboration between federal partners to facilitate the improvement of a critical and life-saving service. With today’s vote, millions of Americans will have the opportunity to get connected to their nearest call centers and get the timely help they deserve and need.”
Specifically, the final rule will require a georouting solution to be implemented for all wireless calls to the 988 Lifeline while balancing the privacy needs of individuals in crisis. Georouting refers to technical solutions that enable calls to be directed based on the location of the caller without transmitting the caller’s precise location information. These solutions would permit wireless calls to the 988 Lifeline to be directed to nearby crisis centers based on factors such as the cell tower that originated the call rather than the area code of the wireless device used to place the call. This system would maintain any privacy requirements carriers may have about the nature of such sensitive calls.
Verizon and T-Mobile began georouting calls to the Lifeline last month, and AT&T plans to implement similar georouting technology in the next few months.
The bipartisan 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has provided critical support for Americans in crisis since it was launched in 2005. The Lifeline offers 24/7 safe, confidential support free of charge to suffering individuals nationwide. Over 200 local crisis centers assist with the Lifeline network, helping connect people to lifesaving mental health resources.
Senator Padilla has been a strong advocate for expanding mental health care access, especially for underserved communities. Earlier this year, Padilla, Tillis, Cárdenas, and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra joined FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to announce the proposed 988 georouting rule. In October 2023, Padilla, Tillis, and Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) launched the bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus to serve as a forum for Senators to collaborate on and promote bipartisan legislation and solutions, hold events to raise awareness of critical mental health issues, and destigmatize mental health. Last year, Padilla introduced a trio of bills to address the unique mental health needs of military children, Latinos, and farm workers. He also supported the passage last Congress of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which includes major investments in community-based mental health services. Padilla also previously highlighted the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for Californians alongside California Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and state mental health experts.
Source: Senator Alex Padilla
