FCC to designate 9-8-8 as National Suicide Prevention Hotline

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), founder and co-chair of the bipartisan House Suicide Prevention Task Force, praised the unanimous vote of the FCC today to approve a proposal designating 9-8-8 as the National Suicide Prevention & Mental Health Hotline.

“Creating a National Suicide Prevention Hotline will save lives. The growing epidemic of Americans lost to suicide is an emergency, and establishing this hotline makes that fact clear and takes meaningful action to address it,” said Rep. Beyer. “Congress should support the FCC’s action and strengthen the National Suicide Prevention Hotline by passing my bipartisan legislation to create an education campaign to tell people about the hotline. Our bill would also promote a better discourse around suicide prevention. I will continue to press for Congress to take action on this and other suicide prevention measures in 2020.”

Beyer is the sponsor of the Campaign To Prevent Suicide Act, a bipartisan bill that would set up an educational campaign recommended by suicide prevention advocates and the FCC to raise awareness for the three-digit suicide lifeline phone number. The legislation would also promote suicide prevention resources, and help educate Americans about strategies to identify warning signs that may precede suicide and encourage effective discourse to prevent suicide.