Senate Unanimously Passes Barrasso, Luján Suicide Lifeline Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) applauded the U.S. Senate for unanimously passing their bipartisan legislation Monday night to increase the efficiency of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by assessing challenges to transmitting geolocation information.

"The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a vital tool that saves lives in Wyoming and across the country," said Senator Barrasso. "I applaud the Senate for unanimously passing our bipartisan bill to help us better connect callers with local emergency services through geolocation information. The House should take up and pass our bill without delay so we can update this critical lifeline to better help those who need it most."

"The 988 hotline is a critical resource for those facing mental health crises and has saved countless lives in New Mexico and across the country," said Senator Luján. "Senate passage of our bipartisan bill is an important step toward making the 988 hotline more reliable, efficient, and responsive for those in need. I applaud my Senate colleagues for unanimously passing this vital legislation to help ensure people are connected with the local resources and emergency services they need. Now, I urge the House to act swiftly to send this bill to the President's desk."

In 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took action to require service providers to route phone calls to 988 to the nearest call center based on geographic location. Last July, the FCC took steps to require geo-routing for texts. Previously, calls and texts were routed based on the phone's area code, often resulting in a geographic mismatch.

The 988 Lifeline Location Improvement Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.).

This legislation is supported by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International (APCO).

Background:

The 988 Lifeline Location Improvement Act would:

• Instruct the FCC to open a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) to address the challenges to transmitting geolocation information with calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

• Direct the FCC to consider legal authorities, protection of consumer privacy, feasibility, technical implementation standards, assessment of funds, technical challenges for callers with disabilities, and current technology available.

• Require the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study and submit to Congress a report on the opportunities and challenges related to implementing geolocation in consultation with representatives from telecommunications, emergency centers, 911 service providers, small and rural local governments, community mental health centers, and individuals who have experience providing services for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have hearing loss.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

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