Trump Signs Law Giving Suicide Lifeline a Makeover
August 24, 2018
A new law aims to upgrade the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act requires government agencies to examine the feasibility of reducing the Lifeline’s phone number from 10 digits to 3, similar to 911. Agencies will also study the effectiveness of the Lifeline’s services, including how well it addresses the needs of veterans, and make recommendations for improvement. Lawmakers hope that the legislation will help increase access to crisis services for people who are struggling. “With this topic, my heart is both heavy and hopeful—heavy because suicide has already taken so many lives; hopeful because this legislation can turn the tide in the campaign against this epidemic,” said Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, one of the bill’s authors. “With this bill, we can prevent countless tragedies and help thousands of men and women get the help they so desperately need.”
Spark Extra! Read the full text of the act.