National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2017
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to coordinate with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and to consult with the Department of Veterans Affairs to examine: (1) the feasibility of designating a three-digit dialing code for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system; and (2) the effectiveness of the current National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK), including how well it addresses the needs of veterans.
The FCC must submit to Congress a recommended dialing code, a cost-benefit analysis comparing the three-digit code to the current lifeline number, and cost estimates for service providers, states, and localities.