Sec. 1103. Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement
1,149 words·~5 min read·
/bill/117/hr/2617/enr/section-1103·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Section 520E–3(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb–36c(b)) is amended— in paragraph (1)— by inserting supporting and before coordinating ; and by striking crisis intervention services and inserting mental health crisis intervention services, including appropriate follow-up services, ; in paragraph (2), by striking and at the end; in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and by adding at the end the following: improving awareness of the program for suicide prevention and mental health crisis intervention services, including by conducting an awareness initiative and ongoing outreach to the public; and improving the collection and analysis of demographic information, in a manner that protects personal privacy, consistent with applicable Federal and State privacy laws, in order to understand disparities in access to the program among individuals who are seeking help. .
Section 520E–3 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 290bb–36c ) is further amended— by redesignating subsection
(c)as subsection (f); and by inserting after subsection
(b)the following: For purposes of supporting the crisis centers under subsection (b)(1) and maintaining the suicide prevention hotline under subsection (b)(2), the Secretary shall develop and implement a plan to ensure the provision of high-quality services. The plan required by paragraph
(1)shall include the following: Program evaluation, including performance measures to assess progress toward the goals and objectives of the program and to improve the responsiveness and performance of the hotline, including at all backup call centers. Requirements that crisis centers and backup centers must meet— to participate in the network under subsection (b)(1); and to ensure that each telephone call and applicable other communication received by the hotline, including at backup call centers, is answered in a timely manner, consistent with evidence-based guidance or other guidance or best practices, as appropriate. Specific recommendations and strategies for implementing evidence-based practices, including with respect to followup and communicating the availability of resources in the community for individuals in need. Criteria for carrying out periodic testing of the hotline during each fiscal year, including at crisis centers and backup centers, to identify and address any problems in a timely manner. In developing requirements under paragraph (2)(B), the Secretary shall consult with State departments of health, local governments, Indian Tribes, and Tribal organizations. The Secretary shall— not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, complete development of the initial plan under paragraph
(1)and make such plan publicly available; and periodically thereafter, update such plan and make the updated plan publicly available. . Section 520E–3 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 290bb–36c ) is amended by inserting after subsection (c), as added by paragraph (2), the following: The Secretary shall, as appropriate, formalize and strengthen agreements between the Suicide Prevention Lifeline program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with respect to the secure sharing of de-identified epidemiological data. Such agreements shall include appropriate privacy and security protections that meet the requirements of applicable Federal law, at a minimum. The Secretary shall ensure that the aggregated information collected and any applicable analyses conducted under subsection (b)(5), including from local call centers, as applicable, are made available in a usable format to State and local agencies in order to inform suicide prevention activities. . Subsection
(f)of section 520E–3 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 290bb–36c ), as redesignated by paragraph (2), is amended to read as follows: To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $101,621,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027. . The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall, as appropriate, carry out a pilot program to research, analyze, and employ various technologies and platforms of communication (including social media platforms, texting platforms, and email platforms) for suicide prevention in addition to the telephone and online chat service provided by the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Not later than 24 months after the date on which the pilot program under paragraph
(1)commences, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall submit to the Congress a report on the pilot program. With respect to each platform of communication employed pursuant to the pilot program, the report shall include— a full description of the program; the number of individuals served by the program; the average wait time for each individual to receive a response; the cost of the program, including the cost per individual served; and any other information the Secretary determines appropriate. Not later than 2 years after the Secretary of Health and Human Services completes development of the plan under section 520E–3(c) of the Public Health Service Act, as added by subsection (a)(2)(B), the Secretary shall— complete a study on— the implementation of such plan, including the progress towards meeting the goals and objectives identified pursuant to paragraph (2)(A) of such section 520E–3(c); and in consultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, options to improve data regarding usage of the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, such as repeat calls, consistent with applicable Federal and State privacy laws; and submit a report to Congress on the progress made on meeting the goals and objectives identified pursuant to paragraph (2)(A) of such section 520E–3(c) and recommendations on improving the program, including improvements to enhance data collection and usage. Not later than 2 years after the Secretary of Health and Human Services begins implementation of the plan required by section 520E–3(c) of the Public Health Service Act, as added by subsection (a)(2)(B), the Comptroller General of the United States shall— complete a study on the Suicide Prevention Lifeline; and submit a report to the Congress on the results of such study. The study required by paragraph
(1)shall include what is known about— the feasibility of routing calls to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline to the nearest crisis center based on the physical location of the contact; capacity of the Suicide Prevention Lifeline; State and regional variation with respect to access to crisis centers described in section 520E–3(b)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb–36c(b)(1)), including wait times, answer times, hours of operation, and funding sources; the implementation of the plan under section 520E–3(c) of the Public Health Service Act, as added by subsection (a)(2)(B), including the progress toward meeting the goals and objectives in such plan; and the capacity of the Suicide Prevention Lifeline to handle calls from individuals with limited English proficiency. The report required by paragraph
(1)shall include recommendations for improving the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, including recommendations for administrative actions. In this section, the term Suicide Prevention Lifeline means the suicide prevention hotline maintained pursuant to section 520E–3 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 290bb–36c ).
Connections3 off-index
3 references not yet in our index
- 42 USC 290bb–36c(b)
- 42 USC 290bb–36c
- 42 USC 290bb–36c(b)(1)
Citation graph
cites case law
Sec. 1103
Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement
Cite42 USC 290bb–36c(b)
Cite42 USC 290bb–36c
Cite42 USC 290bb–36c(b)(1)
Cites 3Cited by 0 across 0 sources