United States Code
42 U.S.C. § 290bb-36c
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline program
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- HR 8367 Answering the Call Act of 2026 Amends · introduced · 119th Congress
- S 2826 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act of 2025 Amends 290bb-36c(b), 290bb-36c(f) · introduced · 119th Congress
- S 3783 Mental Health Career Promotion Act Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
- HR 7394 Mental Health Career Promotion Act Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
- HR 2483 SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 Amends 290bb-36c(b) · enacted · 119th Congress
- HR 5434 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act of 2025 Amends 290bb-36c(b) · introduced · 119th Congress
- S 2121 SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 Amends 290bb-36c(b) · introduced · 119th Congress
- HR 3757 Pride In Mental Health Act of 2025 Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
- S 1062 Suicide Prevention Act Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
- S 1007 9–8–8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act Amends 290bb-36c(b) · introduced · 119th Congress
- HR 2044 Suicide Prevention Assistance Act Amends its part · introduced · 119th Congress
- S 891 Bipartisan Health Care Act Amends 290bb-36c(b) · introduced · 119th Congress
- HR 1768 Lower Costs for Everyday Americans Act Amends 290bb-36c(b) · introduced · 119th Congress
- HR 912 9–8–8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act Amends 290bb-36c(b) · introduced · 119th Congress
- HR 4851 9–8–8 Implementation Act of 2023 Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
- HR 8444 Mental Health in Schools Act Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
- S 3949 Pride In Mental Health Act of 2024 Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
- HR 498 9–8–8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act Amends 290bb-36c(b) · introduced · 118th Congress
- S 3393 SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act Amends 290bb-36c(b) · introduced · 118th Congress
- S 3388 Mental Health Justice Act of 2023 Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
- HR 6451 Mental Health Justice Act of 2023 Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
- HR 3850 Pride In Mental Health Act of 2023 Amends its part · introduced · 118th Congress
- S 1493 9–8–8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act Amends 290bb-36c(b) · introduced · 118th Congress
- HR 2617 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 Amends 290bb-36c(b) · enacted · 117th Congress
- HR 8542 Mental Health Justice Act of 2022 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 7666 Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 7644 Pride in Mental Health Act Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 7537 Help for Healing Communities Act Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 7232 9–8–8 and Parity Assistance Act of 2022 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 7237 REACHING Improved Mental Health Outcomes for Patients Act of 2022 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 7249 Anna Westin Legacy Act of 2022 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 7116 9–8–8 Implementation Act of 2022 Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- S 3686 Anna Westin Legacy Act Amends its part · introduced · 117th Congress
- S 2425 Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act of 2021 Amends 290bb-36c(b) · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 2981 Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act of 2021 Amends · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 2862 Campaign to Prevent Suicide Act Amends 290bb-36c(b)(2) · introduced · 117th Congress
- HR 14 Commitment to Defeat the Virus and Keep America Healthy Act Amends 290bb-36c(b)(2) · introduced · 116th Congress
- HR 925 The Heroes Act Amends its part · introduced · 116th Congress
- HR 4564 Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act of 2020 Amends · introduced · 116th Congress
- HR 4585 Campaign to Prevent Suicide Act Amends 290bb-36c(b)(2) · introduced · 116th Congress
- S 1450 Supporting Adoptive Families Act Amends its part · introduced · 116th Congress
- S 1334 Improving Mental Health Access from the Emergency Department Amends its part · introduced · 116th Congress
The law today
From the official United States Code, current through Public Law 119-121.
(a) In general
The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary, shall maintain the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline program (referred to in this section as the “program”), authorized under section 290bb–32 of this title and in effect prior to December 13, 2016.
(b) Activities In maintaining the program, the activities of the Secretary shall include—
(1) supporting and coordinating a network of crisis centers across the United States for providing suicide prevention and mental health crisis intervention services, including appropriate follow-up services, to individuals seeking help at any time, day or night;
(2) maintaining a suicide prevention hotline to link callers to local emergency, mental health, and social services resources;
(3) consulting with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that veterans calling the suicide prevention hotline have access to a specialized veterans’ suicide prevention hotline;
(4) improving awareness of the program for suicide prevention and mental health crisis intervention services, including by conducting an awareness initiative and ongoing outreach to the public;
(5) improving the collection and analysis of demographic information, in a manner that protects personal privacy, consistent with applicable Federal and State privacy laws, in order to understand disparities in access to the program among individuals who are seeking help; and
(6) taking such steps as may be necessary to ensure the suicide prevention hotline is protected from cybersecurity incidents and eliminates known cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
(c) Plan (1) In general
For purposes of supporting the crisis centers under subsection (b)(1) and maintaining the suicide prevention hotline under subsection (b)(2), the Secretary shall develop and implement a plan to ensure the provision of high-quality services.
(2) Contents The plan required by paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A) Program evaluation, including performance measures to assess progress toward the goals and objectives of the program and to improve the responsiveness and performance of the hotline, including at all backup call centers.
(B) Requirements that crisis centers and backup centers must meet—
(i) to participate in the network under subsection (b)(1); and
(ii) to ensure that each telephone call and applicable other communication received by the hotline, including at backup call centers, is answered in a timely manner, consistent with evidence-based guidance or other guidance or best practices, as appropriate.
(C) Specific recommendations and strategies for implementing evidence-based practices, including with respect to followup and communicating the availability of resources in the community for individuals in need.
(D) Criteria for carrying out periodic testing of the hotline during each fiscal year, including at crisis centers and backup centers, to identify and address any problems in a timely manner.
(3) Consultation
In developing requirements under paragraph (2)(B), the Secretary shall consult with State departments of health, local governments, Indian Tribes, and Tribal organizations.
(4) Initial plan; updates The Secretary shall—
(A) not later than 1 year after December 29, 2022, complete development of the initial plan under paragraph (1) and make such plan publicly available; and
(B) periodically thereafter, update such plan and make the updated plan publicly available.
(d) Improving epidemiological data
The Secretary shall, as appropriate, formalize and strengthen agreements between the Suicide Prevention Lifeline program and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with respect to the secure sharing of de-identified epidemiological data. Such agreements shall include appropriate privacy and security protections that meet the requirements of applicable Federal law, at a minimum.
(e) 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 (b)(5), including from local call centers, as applicable, are made available in a usable format to State and local agencies in order to inform suicide prevention activities.
(f) Cybersecurity reporting (1) Notification (A) In general The program’s network administrator receiving Federal funding pursuant to subsection (a) shall report to the Assistant Secretary, in a manner that protects personal privacy, consistent with applicable Federal and State privacy laws—
(i) any identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities to the program within a reasonable amount of time after identification of such a vulnerability; and
(ii) any identified cybersecurity incidents to the program within a reasonable amount of time after identification of such incident.
(B) Local and regional crisis centers Local and regional crisis centers participating in the program shall report to the program’s network administrator identified under subparagraph (A), in a manner that protects personal privacy, consistent with applicable Federal and State privacy laws—
(i) any identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities to the program within a reasonable amount of time after identification of such vulnerability; and
(ii) any identified cybersecurity incidents to the program within a reasonable amount of time after identification of such incident.
(2) Notification
If the program’s network administrator receiving funding pursuant to subsection (a) discovers, or is informed by a local or regional crisis center pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) of, a cybersecurity vulnerability or incident, within a reasonable amount of time after such discovery or receipt of information, such entity shall report the vulnerability or incident to the Assistant Secretary.
(3) Clarification (A) Oversight (i) Local and regional crisis centers
Except as provided in clause (ii), local and regional crisis centers participating in the program shall oversee all technology each center employs in the provision of services as a participant in the program.
(ii) Network administrator
The program’s network administrator receiving Federal funding pursuant to subsection (a) shall oversee the technology each crisis center employs in the provision of services as a participant in the program if such oversight responsibilities are established in the applicable network participation agreement.
(B) Supplement, not supplant
The cybersecurity incident reporting requirements under this subsection shall supplement, and not supplant, cybersecurity incident reporting requirements under other provisions of applicable Federal law that are in effect on December 1, 2025.
(g) Authorization of appropriations
To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $101,621,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.
Official text at uscode.house.gov ↗