We did it! 9-8-8 passes the House
3714 actions taken
286 needed to reach next goal
We did it! The U.S. House
of Representatives unanimously passed the bipartisan S. 2661, the National Suicide
Hotline Designation Act. This bill is an important step to making 9-8-8, a nationwide three-digit dialing code for
mental health crises and suicide prevention, operational. It passed the
Senate earlier this year and will now go to the Presidentās desk to be signed
into law.
Mental
health crises deserve a mental health response and this law helps us get one
step closer to that reality. This win is
especially meaningful during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
The
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has already passed a major hurdle and
approved 9-8-8, with a goal to have it available by July 2022.* S. 2661 will make 9-8-8 fully
operational and provide resources to meet the demand for mental health services.
When a person is in a mental health crisis, they should be connected to mental
health support instead of ending up in the back of a police car. This law will help make
that possible.
And this victory is because of the power of your voice
and that of tens of thousands of other mental health advocates calling for
a better way to help people with mental health conditions and their loved ones during
a mental health crisis.
Please take a minute to celebrate and thank your Representative for their support of this bill.
*9-8-8
is not yet operational, but help is available now if you or somebody you know
is having thoughts of suicide or is in crisis. Text āNAMIā to 741741 or call
the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.