The National Association of Counties (NACo) applauded an announcement from bipartisan congressional leaders and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel regarding steps to improve the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The FCC will issue a notice of proposed rulemaking on georouting for 9-8-8, a priority for NACo and its Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Unlike 9-1-1 calls, which automatically route to a local 9-1-1 center based on the caller's current location, 9-8-8 calls are routed based on a person's area code. If someone moves or travels, their call to 9-8-8 could route to a call center hundreds of miles away. 9-8-8 is not as effective if the person answering a call is unfamiliar with the caller's location and cannot provide accurate, local resources.
Since its launch in 2022, there have been over seven million calls to 9-8-8, making it an essential tool for counties to support the mental health of residents. Counties are responsible for providing a robust behavioral health care continuum. In June 2023, NACo met with the FCC to emphasize that georouting calls to 9-8-8, meaning directing calls based on a caller's location rather than their phone's area code, would enable counties to support the needs of those callers better.
"Georouting calls to 9-8-8 will be a significant improvement to this life-saving system, facilitating faster response times to residents in need while protecting the privacy of those who dial for assistance," said NACo Executive Director Matthew Chase. "The FCC has taken an important step towards georouting, and we will continue to work with our federal partners as the FCC moves forward with this proposal."
Visit the NACo website for more information.
Maryland General Assembly Considering Legislation to Establish 9-8-8 Fee
The Maryland General Assembly is considering legislation to establish a State 9-8-8 fee with a structure and application nearly identical to the structure and application for the State's 9-1-1 fee. SB 974/HB 933 proposes a $0.25 fee on specified 9-8-8 accessible services in Maryland (including on phoneline
subscribers beginning October 1, 2024, and prepaid wireless purchasers starting July 1, 2027). MACo took no position on the bill.
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