Senate committee OKs Gardner bill designating 9-8-8 as nation’s new crisis hotline

The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Dec. 11 approved bipartisan legislation offered by U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) to designate 9-8-8 as the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline.

“With the Senate Commerce Committee’s approval today, this bipartisan bill to create a three-digit suicide hotline became one step closer to becoming reality,” Sen. Gardner said on Wednesday. “I will continue to push Congress to create this three-digit hotline, because too many people are suffering and don’t know where to turn to for help.”

Sen. Gardner on Oct. 22 sponsored the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2019, S. 2661, with original cosponsors U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), to require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to designate 9-8-8 as the universal telephone hotline number.

If enacted, S. 2661 also would direct both the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to jointly report on how to make the use of 9-8-8 operational and effective across the country, according to the congressional record bill summary.

“Suicide has tragically impacted too many families in Colorado,” added Sen. Gardner. “This easy-to-remember number would make it easier for Americans dealing with a mental health crisis to receive life-saving support.”

The new number also would include the Veterans Crisis Line for veteran-specific mental health support, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Gardner’s office, which noted that language in S. 2661 also would require the HHS/VA report to analyze how to improve support services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth and other high-risk populations.

Sen. Gardner said in a taped video released after the committee vote that while Colorado is known for many things, “the state unfortunately is also known for having one of the nation’s highest suicide rates, especially among young people.”