,,ii ,calendar ,no4 #abh #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #bdbe ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,july #ba1 #bjba,mr4 ,reed 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,moran1 ,mr4 ,lujn1 and ,ms4 ,murkowski7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,september #ba1 #bjba,reported by ,mrs4 ,murray1 with an amendment,strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,public ,health ,service ,act to ensure the provision of high-quality service through the ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline ,improvement ,act of #bjba4 #b4 ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline 7a7 ,plan ,section #ebj;,e-#c of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bij;bb-#cf;c7 is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating subsection 7c7 as subsection 7e72 and 7#b7 by inserting after subsection 7b7 the following3 7c7 ,plan 7#a7 ,in general ,for purposes of maintaining the suicide prevention hotline under subsection 7b77#b71 the ,secretary shall develop and implement a plan to ensure the provision of high-quality service4 7#b7 ,contents ,the plan required by paragraph 7#a7 shall include the following3 7,a7 ,quality assurance provisions1 including-- 7i7 clearly defined and measurable performance indicators and objectives to improve the responsiveness and performance of the hotline1 including at backup call centers2 and 7ii7 quantifiable timeframes to track the progress of the hotline in meeting such performance indicators and objectives4 7,b7 ,standards that crisis centers and backup centers must meet-- 7i7 to participate in the network under subsection 7b77#a72 and 7ii7 to ensure that each telephone call1 online chat message1 and other communication received by the hotline1 including at backup call centers1 is answered in a timely manner by a person1 consistent with the guidance established by the ,american ,association of ,suicidology or other guidance determined by the ,secretary to be appropriate4 7,c7 ,guidelines for crisis centers and backup centers to implement evidence-based practices including with respect to followup and referral to other health and social services resources4 7,d7 ,guidelines to ensure that resources are available and distributed to individuals using the hotline who are not personally in a time of crisis but know of someone who is4 7,e7 ,guidelines to carry out periodic testing of the hotline1 including at crisis centers and backup centers1 during each fiscal year to identify and correct any problems in a timely manner4 7,f7 ,guidelines to operate in consultation with the ,state department of health1 local governments1 ,indian tribes1 and tribal organizations4 7#c7 ,initial plan2 updates ,the ,secretary shall-- 7,a7 not later than #f months after the date of enactment of the ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline ,improvement ,act of #bjba1 complete development of the initial version of the plan required by paragraph 7#a71 begin implementation of such plan1 and make such plan publicly available2 and 7,b7 periodically thereafter1 update such plan and make the updated plan publicly available4 4 7b7 ,transmission of data to ,,cdc ,section #ebj;,e-#c of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bij;bb-#cf;c7 is amended by inserting after subsection 7c7 of such section1 as added by subsection 7a7 of this section1 the following3 7d7 ,transmission of data to ,,cdc ,the ,secretary shall formalize and strengthen agreements between the ,national ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline program and the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention to transmit any necessary epidemiological data from the program to the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention1 including local call center data1 to assist the ,centers in suicide prevention efforts4 4 7c7 ,authorization of appropriations ,subsection 7e7 of section #ebj;,e-#c of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bij;bb-#cf;c7 is amended to read as follows3 7e7 ,authorization of appropriations 7#a7 ,in general ,to carry out this section1 there are authorized to be appropriated #aac1fjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbb through #bjbd4 7#b7 ,allocation ,of the amount authorized to be appropriated by paragraph 7#a7 for each of fiscal years #bjbb through #bjbd1 at least #hj percent shall be made available to crisis centers4 4 #c4 ,pilot program on innovative technologies 7a7 ,pilot program 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 acting through the ,assistant ,secretary for ,mental ,health and ,substance ,use1 shall carry out a pilot program to research1 analyze1 and employ various technologies and platforms of communication 7including social media platforms1 texting platforms1 and email platforms7 for suicide prevention in addition to the telephone and online chat service provided by the ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline4 7#b7 ,authorization of appropriations ,to carry out paragraph 7#a71 there is authorized to be appropriated #e1jjj1jjj for the period of fiscal years #bjbb and #bjbc4 7b7 ,report ,not later than #b years after the date on which the pilot program under subsection 7a7 commences1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 acting through the ,assistant ,secretary for ,mental ,health and ,substance ,use1 shall submit to ,congress a report on the pilot program4 ,with respect to each platform of communication employed pursuant to the pilot program1 the report shall include-- 7#a7 a full description of the program2 7#b7 the number of individuals served by the program2 7#c7 the average wait time for each individual to receive a response2 7#d7 the cost of the program1 including the cost per individual served2 and 7#e7 any other information the ,secretary determines appropriate4 #d4 ,,hhs study and report ,not later than #b years after the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services begins implementation of the plan required by section #ebj;,e-#c7;c7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act1 as added by section #b7;a77#b7 of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7 complete a study on-- 7,a7 the implementation of such plan1 including the progress towards meeting the objectives identified pursuant to paragraph 7#b77;,a77i7 of such section #ebj;,e-#c7;c7 by the timeframes identified pursuant to paragraph 7#b77;,a77ii7 of such section #ebj;,e-#c7;c72 and 7,b7 in consultation with the ,director of the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention1 options to expand data gathering from calls to the ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline in order to better track aspects of usage such as repeat calls1 consistent with applicable ,federal and ,state privacy laws2 and 7#b7 submit a report to ,congress on the results of such study1 including recommendations on whether additional legislation or appropriations are needed4 #e4 ,,gao study and report 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #b years after the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services begins implementation of the plan required by section #ebj;,e-#c7;c7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act1 as added by section #b7;a77#b7 of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall-- 7#a7 complete a study on the ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline2 and 7#b7 submit a report to ,congress on the results of such study4 7b7 ,issues ,to be studied ,the study required by subsection 7a7 shall address-- 7#a7 the feasibility of geolocating callers to direct calls to the nearest crisis center2 7#b7 operation shortcomings of the ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline2 7#c7 geographic coverage of each crisis call center2 7#d7 the call answer rate of each crisis call center2 7#e7 the call wait time of each crisis call center2 7#f7 the hours of operation of each crisis call center2 7#g7 funding avenues of each crisis call center2 7#h7 the implementation of the plan under section #ebj;,e-#c7;c7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act1 as added by section #b7;a7 of this ,act1 including the progress towards meeting the objectives identified pursuant to paragraph 7#b77;,a77i7 of such section #ebj;,e-#c7;c7 by the timeframes identified pursuant to paragraph 7#b77;,a77ii7 of such section #ebj;,e-#c7;c72 and 7#i7 service to individuals requesting a foreign language speaker1 including-- 7,a7 the number of calls or chats the ,lifeline receives from individuals speaking a foreign language2 7,b7 the capacity of the ,lifeline to handle these calls or chats2 and 7,c7 the number of crisis centers with the capacity to serve foreign language speakers1 in house4 7c7 ,recommendations ,the report required by subsection 7a7 shall include recommendations for improving the ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline1 including recommendations for legislative and administrative actions4 #f4 ,definition ,in this ,act1 the term ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline means the suicide prevention hotline maintained pursuant to section #ebj;,e-#c of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bij;bb-#cf;c74 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline ,improvement ,act of #bjba4 #b4 ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline 7a7 ,activities ,section #ebj;,e-#c7;b7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bij;bb-#cf;c7b77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 by inserting supporting and before coordinating2 and 7,b7 by striking crisis intervention services and inserting mental health crisis intervention services1 including appropriate follow-up services12 7#b7 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking 2 and and inserting a semicolon2 7#c7 in paragraph 7#c71 by striking the period and inserting a semicolon2 and 7#d7 by adding at the end the following3 7#d7 improving awareness of the program for suicide prevention and mental health crisis intervention services1 including by conducting an awareness initiative and ongoing outreach to the public2 and 7#e7 improving the collection and analysis of demographic information1 in a manner that protects personal privacy1 consistent with applicable ,federal and ,state privacy laws1 in order to understand disparities in access to the program among individuals who are seeking help4 4 7b7 ,plan ,section #ebj;,e-#c of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bij;bb-#cf;c7 is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating subsection 7c7 as subsection 7e72 and 7#b7 by inserting after subsection 7b7 the following3 7c7 ,plan 7#a7 ,in general ,for purposes of supporting the crisis centers under subsection 7b77#a7 and maintaining the suicide prevention hotline under subsection 7b77#b71 the ,secretary shall develop and implement a plan to ensure the provision of high-quality services4 7#b7 ,contents ,the plan required by paragraph 7#a7 shall include the following3 7,a7 ,program evaluation1 including performance measures to assess progress toward the goals and objectives of the program and to improve the responsiveness and performance of the hotline1 including at backup call centers4 7,b7 ,requirements that crisis centers and backup centers must meet-- 7i7 to participate in the network under subsection 7b77#a72 and 7ii7 to ensure that each telephone call and applicable other communication received by the hotline1 including at backup call centers1 is answered in a timely manner1 consistent with evidence-based guidance or other guidance or best practices1 as appropriate4 7,c7 ,specific recommendations and strategies for implementing evidence-based practices1 including with respect to follow-up and communicating the availability of resources in the community for individuals in need4 7,d7 ,criteria for carrying out periodic testing of the hotline during each fiscal year1 including at crisis centers and backup centers1 to identify and address any problems in a timely manner4 7#c7 ,consultation ,in developing requirements under paragraph 7#b77;,b71 the ,secretary shall consult with ,state departments of health1 local governments1 ,indian ,tribes1 and ,tribal organizations4 7#d7 ,initial plan2 updates ,the ,secretary shall-- 7,a7 not later than #a year after the date of enactment of the ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline ,improvement ,act of #bjba1 complete development of the initial plan under paragraph 7#a7 and make such plan publicly available2 and 7,b7 periodically thereafter1 update such plan and make the updated plan publicly available4 4 7c7 ,data to assist ,state and local agencies ,section #ebj;,e-#c of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bij;bb-#cf;c7 is amended by inserting after subsection 7c7 of such section1 as added by subsection 7b7 of this section1 the following3 7d7 ,data to assist ,state and local suicide prevention activities ,the ,secretary shall ensure that the aggregated information collected and any applicable analyses conducted under subsection 7b77#e71 including from local call centers1 as applicable1 are made available in a useable format to ,state and local agencies in order to inform suicide prevention activities4 4 7d7 ,authorization of appropriations ,subsection 7e7 of section #ebj;,e-#c of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bij;bb-#cf;c71 as redesignated by subsection 7b77#a71 is amended by striking #g1aih1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjah through #bjbb and inserting such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years #bjbc through #bjbg4 #c4 ,,hhs report ,not later than #b years after the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services submits the plan under subsection 7c77#a7 of section #ebj;,e-#c of the ,public ,health ,service ,act1 as added by section #b7;b77#b7 of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit a report to ,congress on the progress made on meeting the objectives identified pursuant to subsection 7c77#b77;,a77i7 of such section #ebj;,e-#c and recommendations on improving the program1 including improvements to enhance data collection and usage4 #d4 ,,gao study and report 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #b years after the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services begins implementation of the plan required by section #ebj;,e-#c7;c77#a7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act1 as added by section #b7;b77#b7 of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states shall complete a study on the ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline and submit a report to ,congress on the results of such study4 7b7 ,content ,the study required by subsection 7a7 shall include what is known about-- 7#a7 the feasibility of routing calls to the ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline to the nearest appropriate crisis center based on the physical location of the contact2 7#b7 capacity of the ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline2 7#c7 ,state and regional variation with respect to access to crisis call centers described in section #ebj;,e-#c7;b77#a7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bij;bb-#cf;c7b77#a771 including wait times1 answer times1 hours of operation1 and funding sources2 7#d7 the implementation of the plan under section #ebj;,e-#c7;c7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act1 as added by section #b7;b77#b7 of this ,act1 including the progress toward meeting the objectives in such plan2 and 7#e7 capacity of the ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline to handle calls from individuals with limited ,english proficiency4 #e4 ,definition ,in this ,act1 the term ,suicide ,prevention ,lifeline means the suicide prevention hotline maintained pursuant to section #ebj;,e-#c of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bij;bb-#cf;c74 ,september #ba1 #bjba,reported with an amendment