The Senate has approved a bipartisan bill designating 988 as the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline.
The bipartisan bill was passed by voice vote Wednesday evening, according to Roll Call. The hotline had been a legislative priority of former Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who had pressed the Federal Communications Commission for a study that identified the three-digit number.
The bill now goes to the House for approval.
“This bipartisan bill to create a three-digit suicide hotline is now one step closer to becoming reality,” said Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., the bill's sponsor. “This three-digit number would make it easier for Americans dealing with a mental health crisis to receive life-saving support.”
Gardner introduced the legislation with Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Jack Reed, D-R.I.
He tweeted Wednesday: “The Senate unanimously passed my bipartisan bill to establish the #988SuicideHotline. We lose a Coloradan to death by suicide on average every 7 hours & we must keep fighting to provide mental health support to Coloradans in need, particularly in this time of crisis.”
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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