WASHINGTON, DC - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) issued the following statement after President Trump signed into law H.R. 2345, the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act.
“Millions of Americans each year, particularly young people and veterans, struggle with depression and mental health issues. It is critical to connect those contemplating suicide with the support they need, and there’s more we can do to help. The National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act takes steps to establish a nationwide 3-digit suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline, making the number as intuitive as dialing 9-1-1. We thank President Trump for signing this important legislation into law," said Chairman Walden and #SubCommTech Chairman Blackburn.
Background:
H.R. 2345, the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act, authored by Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in consultation with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to study and report on the feasibility of designating an N11 dialing code to be used for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system.
H.R. 2345 passed the House on July 23, 2018 by a vote of 379-1 and was approved by the Senate on Aug. 1, 2018 by unanimous consent. It passed the Energy and Commerce Committee on July 12, 2018 by voice vote.
