White House Recommends $78M in CR for 988 Updates
The White House urged Congress to include $78 million for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration to implement tech upgrades to 988 suicide prevention hotline call centers, in an expected short-term continuing resolution…
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to fund the federal government past Sept. 30. A trio of Democratic senators and some state legislators in July criticized wireless industry lobbying to keep a lower lid on 988-related customer surcharges (see 2107230050). Absent the federal funding, 988 call centers “would be unable to support the significant increases in call, text, and chat volume that is expected” as carriers begin working to comply with a proposed July 16, 2022, deadline to allow texting to the hotline (see 2108130058), the White House Office of Management and Budget said Tuesday in its proposal for funding additional to the CR. Acting OMB Director Shalanda Young cited the proposed additional 988 money in a blog post as among its recommendations to Congress on “how to avoid severe disruptions to public services that could inadvertently arise from extending the previous year’s appropriations legislation without modifications.” The money is needed to ensure the suicide hotline “has the capacity to meet the additional need stemming from the establishment of” 988 as the number “that connects people directly” to call centers, Young said.