The U.S. House of Representatives on Sept. 21 approved bipartisan legislation proposed by U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) to increase federal funding for local suicide crisis centers and advanced the bill to the U.S. Senate.
“I’m pleased to announce the passage of my bill, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Act,” said Rep. Katko. “This bipartisan measure fully funds overburdened crisis centers so that they can meet rising call volumes. The bill will also take steps to alleviate call wait times and make support resources available to friends and family of those in crisis.”
Rep. Katko, in September 2019, sponsored the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act of 2020, H.R. 4564, with lead cosponsor U.S. Rep. Don Beyer Jr. (D-VA), which would increase authorized funding for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline from $12 million to $50 million.
If enacted, H.R. 4564 also would require the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to (1) develop a plan to ensure the provision of high-quality service; (2) strengthen data-sharing agreements to facilitate the transmission of epidemiological data from the program to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and (3) implement a pilot program focused on using other communications platforms for suicide prevention, according to the congressional record bill summary. H.R. 4564 also would direct the Government Accountability Office to study the program.
“Here in central New York, crisis centers like Contact Community Services handle the majority of local calls to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. But in recent years, rising rates of suicide and limited funding for call centers have made it nearly impossible to consistently provide quality and timely support for central New Yorkers in need,” Rep. Katko explained. “Making matters worse, the COVID-19 pandemic has added constraints and elevated rates of mental illness.”
On Tuesday, the Senate referred the measure to the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee for consideration.