S. 2661

National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020

This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to designate 9-8-8 as the universal telephone number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline.

A state may impose and collect a fee for providing 9-8-8 related services. However, this fee must be held in a designated account to be spent only in support of 9-8-8 services, and the FCC must submit an annual report on state administration of these fees.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Veterans Affairs must jointly report on how to make the use of 9-8-8 operational and effective across the country, and HHS must develop a strategy to provide access to competent, specialized services for high-risk populations such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth; minorities; and rural individuals.