Tillis applauds FCC action to improve georouting for 9-8-8 suicide line

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) on March 22 commended the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for circulating a notice of proposed rulemaking that aims to improve georouting for the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Georouting for 9-8-8 means calls are directed based on a caller’s location rather than on the phone’s area code, a move that would enable counties to better support the needs of those callers.  

“The 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has been an important resource in connecting those in crisis with necessary care, and I’m excited about this next step to further improve the Lifeline,” Sen. Tillis said.

The issue of 9-8-8 georouting has been a priority for the Bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus, which Sen. Tillis co-founded with U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA). Last year, Sens. Tillis and Padilla also introduced the Local 9-8-8 Response Act of 2023, S. 3444, with a companion bill, H.R. 4974, introduced by U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) to improve the accessibility of 9-8-8. Both bills remain under committee consideration in their respective chambers. 

The FCC’s notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) circulated on March 21 contains provisions from Sen. Tillis’ bill and proposes the adoption of a rule that would require a georouting solution to be implemented for all wireless calls to the 9-8-8 Lifeline while balancing the privacy needs of individuals in crisis. 

“Ensuring callers are routed to crisis centers based on their geographic location as opposed to their device’s area code will allow for a quicker and more localized response for individuals in crisis and, as co-chair of the Senate Mental Health Caucus, I’m proud that this new capability will soon become a reality,” said Sen. Tillis.

On Friday, he joined his colleagues, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra, and FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to announce the NPRM.

“As a strong advocate of the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, I want to commend the FCC for getting ahead of us in Congress and pushing for much needed changes,” said Rep. Cárdenas. “The American people deserve the peace of mind and confidence that when they call 9-8-8, there will be someone answering that call, someone to come quickly if they need it, and somewhere to go to get compassionate care. Today, I believe we have delivered hope to many.”

Rosenworcel said that when people reach out to 9-8-8 for help, they should have confidence that the support they receive is local.

“As we develop technical solutions, we want experts in mental health to work with us every step of the way,” she said. “I’m grateful for the leadership of Sens. Padilla and Tillis, Congressman Cárdenas, and Secretary Becerra for working with the FCC to meet the needs of those of us suffering in silence. Help is here.” 

The NPRM also seeks comment on the impact of georouting solutions on texts to 9-8-8, an increasingly popular way to reach out for help.