To amend the Public Health Service Act to award grants to eligible crisis centers to provide follow-up services to individuals receiving suicide prevention and crisis intervention services, to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to improve the accessibility of 9-8-8, and for other purposes.
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8122
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-03-26: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-03-27T08:06:43Z
AI-Generated Summary
H.R. 8122 - 9-8-8 Connect Act
Purpose
To fund follow-up care for people who contact suicide prevention and mental health crisis services, and to make the 9-8-8 crisis hotline more accessible by ensuring calls and texts from mobile phones and multi-line systems (like office or hotel phones) connect reliably.
Key Provisions
- Grants for Follow-Up Services (amends Public Health Service Act):
- Awards grants to crisis centers in the existing national network to provide follow-up care to individuals who received crisis help, such as callers at risk of suicide, those visited by mobile crisis teams, or people who went to emergency departments or short-term crisis facilities.
- Follow-up includes check-ins on well-being, outreach for ongoing support, coordination with family/caregivers, and referrals to appropriate care levels.
- Selection based on needs like service gaps; technical assistance provided on best practices.
- Authorizes $30 million for fiscal year 2027.
- 9-8-8 Accessibility Improvements (amends Communications Act of 1934):
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must issue rules within 270 days requiring mobile phone service providers to transmit all calls and texts to 9-8-8, including from phones without active service plans (non-service-initialized handsets) if they use compatible technology; providers comply within 1 year.
- Requires multi-line telephone systems (MLTS, e.g., in businesses or hotels) to be configured for direct 9-8-8 dialing, similar to existing 9-1-1 rules; applies 2 years after enactment, with exception for older systems needing hardware/software upgrades.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Adds new section (520E-5) to the Public Health Service Act for crisis follow-up grants.
- Expands Communications Act section 721 (previously only for 9-1-1) to cover 9-8-8 for MLTS configuration.
- Introduces first-time FCC mandate for mobile providers to route 9-8-8 calls/texts from non-service-initialized handsets.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: HHS (via Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use) gains grant authority; FCC must create and enforce new rules.
- Citizens: Easier, more reliable access to 9-8-8 for crisis help, especially from basic or inactive phones; better post-crisis support to prevent future incidents.
- No direct international relations impact.
Main Stakeholders
- Crisis centers in the national suicide prevention network (grant recipients).
- Mobile phone service providers (must upgrade systems).
- Owners/operators of multi-line telephone systems (e.g., businesses, hotels).
- Individuals in mental health or suicide crises, their families, and caregivers.
- Federal agencies: HHS and FCC.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Strengthens public health infrastructure without raising constitutional concerns (focuses on voluntary grants and regulatory mandates on private telecom).
- Builds on prior 9-8-8 designation (2018 law) for national crisis hotline; promotes equity in access for underserved phone users.
- Bipartisan introduction (Reps. Raskin and Fitzpatrick); potential for quick FCC rulemaking but compliance costs for telecom industry.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]
Recent Actions
- 2026-03-26: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2026-03-26: Introduced in House
- 2026-03-26: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- 9–8–8 Connect Act — issued 2026-03-26 — PDF (6 pages)