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Bill

HR 8122

9–8–8 Connect Act

119th Congress Introduced by Brian Fitzpatrick and 1 co-sponsor

Bill establishes federal standards and funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to improve service consistency and emergency mental health response coordination nationwide.

Introduced in House
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HR 8122

Legislative bill overview

HR 8122, the 9-8-8 Connect Act, seeks to improve access and coordination of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by establishing standardized protocols, funding mechanisms, and operational requirements across states. The bill aims to strengthen the national suicide prevention infrastructure that was created when the 988 number became operational in 2022.

Why is this important

The 988 Lifeline currently handles over 5 million calls and texts annually, but faces significant disparities in service quality, funding, and staffing across different regions. Standardizing operations and providing dedicated federal resources could reduce wait times, improve crisis response coordination, and potentially save lives in communities with currently inadequate mental health crisis infrastructure.

Potential points of contention

  • Funding and cost: The bill likely requires new federal spending to implement standardized protocols and staffing levels, which may face budget scrutiny or debate over whether this is federal or state responsibility
  • State implementation variation: States have different mental health systems and crisis response models; mandating uniform standards may conflict with existing state programs or require costly restructuring
  • Data privacy and caller information: Improved coordination and data-sharing between agencies could raise concerns about confidentiality and how crisis caller information is stored and accessed across jurisdictions

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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