National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020
Public Law 116-172 · S. 2661 · 116th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Oct 17, 2020 · Commemorations
Sponsor: Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO)
Cosponsors (34): Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Sen. Jerry Moran,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to designate 9-8-8 as the universal telephone number for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline.
A state may impose and collect a fee for providing 9-8-8 related services. However, this fee must be held in a designated account to be spent only in support of 9-8-8 services, and the FCC must submit an annual report on state administration of these fees.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Veterans Affairs must jointly report on how to make the use of 9-8-8 operational and effective across the country, and HHS must develop a strategy to provide access to competent, specialized services for high-risk populations such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth; minorities; and rural individuals.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 4194Related bill
National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2019
H.R. 6800Related bill
The Heroes Act
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.
- Oct 17, 2020Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-172.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 6, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Sep 21, 2020FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2661.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. McNerney moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- May 14, 2020FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- May 13, 2020FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Dec 11, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Oct 22, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 1585SenateSen. Cory GardnerR-CO· offered May 13, 2020Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
May 13, 2020: Amendment SA 1585 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.