Amid Increased Mental Health Needs During COVID-19 Pandemic, Katko Legislation to Bolster Aid for Local Suicide Crisis Centers Advances to House Floor

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July 15, 2020
Press Release

SYRACUSE, NY— U.S. Rep. John Katko (NY-24) today announced that the House Committee on Energy and Commerce has advanced out of Committee the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act of 2019, bipartisan legislation he introduced to bolster aid for local suicide crisis centers. The bill will now head to the House floor for consideration. Rep. Katko released the following statement: 

“Suicide rates remain on the rise in our country, and there’s no question we need to devote greater resources to improving mental health and to bolster support for local suicide crisis centers, like Contact Community Services here in Syracuse. Today, the Committee on Energy and Commerce took significant steps towards achieving that goal in approving out of Committee the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act.

“In Central New York, crisis centers provide suicide prevention and counseling services, and handle the majority of local calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline— all while working on an extremely tight budget. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated already rising rates of mental illness and calls to the Lifeline, increasing the strain on local crisis centers. Now more than ever, we must ensure those in-need have access to lifesaving assistance through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This legislation takes steps to support and fully fund overburdened crisis centers in order to increase quality assurance, eliminate call wait times, and provide support to friends and family of those in crisis who call the Lifeline. I urge Congressional Leaders to swiftly bring this bipartisan measure to the House floor.” 

Last year, Rep. Katko announced this bipartisan initiative alongside local service providers at Contact Community Services in Syracuse. Rep. Katko’s bill would provide additional guidance and increased funding to local call centers like Contact Community Services, to ensure they are able to meet rising call volume to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Specifically, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act:

  • Significantly increases authorized funding for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline from $12 million to $50 million;
  • Requires HHS to develop and implement a plan to increase quality assurance, eliminate call wait times, implement evidence-based practices like follow-up, ensure resources are available to friends and family of those in crisis, create guidelines to carry out periodic testing of the Lifeline;
  • Requires increased coordination and data sharing between the Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the CDC;
  • Creates a pilot program to research and employ innovative technologies for suicide prevention;
  • Requires a study and report to Congress from both HHS and GAO on the plan implemented by HHS to reform the Lifeline as well as other recommendations for improvement to the Lifeline’s operations.

 

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