H.R. 8122

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8122 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8122

To amend the Public Health Service Act to award grants to eligible 
crisis centers to provide follow-up services to individuals receiving 
suicide prevention and crisis intervention services, to amend the 
Communications Act of 1934 to improve the accessibility of 9-8-8, and 
for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 26, 2026

Mr. Raskin (for himself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Public Health Service Act to award grants to eligible 
crisis centers to provide follow-up services to individuals receiving 
suicide prevention and crisis intervention services, to amend the 
Communications Act of 1934 to improve the accessibility of 9-8-8, and 
for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``9-8-8 Connect Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR FOLLOW-UP SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING SUICIDE 
PREVENTION AND CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICES.

Title V of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting 
after section 520E-4 (42 U.S.C. 290bb-36d) the following:

``SEC. 520E-5. FOLLOW-UP SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING SUICIDE 
PREVENTION AND CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICES.

``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Assistant 
Secretary, shall award grants to eligible crisis centers to provide 
follow-up services to individuals receiving suicide prevention and 
crisis intervention services.
``(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to seek a grant under this 
section, a crisis center shall be a member of the network of crisis 
centers coordinated under section 520E-3(b)(1).
``(c) Selection.--The Secretary shall select recipients of grants 
under this section based on the relative needs, including capacity and 
service gaps, of the eligible crisis centers applying for such grants.
``(d) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide technical 
assistance to recipients of grants under this section regarding best 
practices for the implementation of services through such grants.
``(e) Use of Funds.--
``(1) In general.--A crisis center receiving a grant under 
this section shall use the grant to provide follow-up services 
to individuals receiving suicide prevention and crisis 
intervention services such as--
``(A) individuals who were callers at risk of, or 
on behalf of someone at risk of, suicide or a mental 
health or suicidal crisis; and
``(B) to the extent possible, individuals who--
``(i) received a response from a mobile 
crisis team; or
``(ii) made a visit to an urgent behavioral 
health clinic, a crisis receiving and 
stabilization facility, an emergency 
department, an inpatient unit, or another 
short-term crisis care site.
``(2) Follow-up services.--Follow-up services referred to 
in paragraph (1) may include--
``(A) check-ins to assess well-being and level of 
risk;
``(B) outreach to ensure engagement in services and 
supports, in coordination with mobile crisis service 
providers if involved;
``(C) collaboration with family, caregivers, and 
natural social supports; and
``(D) referrals based on the needed level of care.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there is authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for fiscal year 
2027, to remain available until expended.''.

SEC. 3. 9-8-8 IMPROVEMENT.

(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) 9-8-8.--The term ``9-8-8'' means 9-8-8, as designated 
as the universal telephone number within the United States for 
the purpose of the national suicide prevention and mental 
health crisis hotline system under section 251(e)(4) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 251(e)(4)).
(2) Commercial mobile service.--The term ``commercial 
mobile service'' has the meaning given the term in section 
332(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 332(d)).
(3) Non-service-initialized handset.--The term ``non-
service-initialized handset'' has the meaning given the term in 
section 9.10(o)(3)(i) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, 
or any successor regulation.
(b) Transmission of All Calls and Texts.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 270 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission 
shall promulgate regulations to ensure that each provider of 
commercial mobile service transmits all calls and text messages 
made or sent to 9-8-8, including a call or text message that 
originates from a non-service-initialized handset (if the call 
or text message originates on a phone using a compliant radio 
frequency protocol of the provider).
(2) Implementation.--A provider of commercial mobile 
service shall comply with the regulations promulgated under 
paragraph (1) not later than 1 year after the date on which the 
regulations are promulgated.
(c) Configuration of Multi-Line Telephone Systems for Direct 
Dialing.--
(1) In general.--Section 721 of the Communications Act of 
1934 (47 U.S.C. 623) is amended--
(A) in the section heading, by inserting ``and 9-8-
8'' after ``9-1-1'';
(B) in subsection (a), by inserting ``or 9-8-8'' 
after ``9-1-1''; and
(C) in subsection (b), by inserting ``or 9-8-8'' 
after ``9-1-1''.
(2) Applicability.--
(A) In general.--The amendments made by paragraph 
(1) shall apply to actions occurring on and after the 
date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act.
(B) Exception.--The amendment made by paragraph 
(1)(C) shall not apply to the management or operation 
of a multi-line telephone system installed before the 
date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, if the system is not able to be configured to 
satisfy the requirements of the amendment, without an 
improvement to the hardware or software of the system.
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