Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “988 Lifeline Location Improvement Act of 2023”.
988 Lifeline Location Improvement Act of 2023
A BILL
To establish a multi-stakeholder advisory committee tasked with providing detailed recommendations to address challenges to transmitting geolocation information with calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Definitions
In this Act:
911 system service provider— The term 911 system service provider has the meaning given the term covered 911 service provider in section 9.19(a)(4)(i) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.
Appropriate committees of Congress— The term appropriate committees of Congress means—
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate;
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; and
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.
Committee— The term committee means the advisory committee established under section 3.
Community based mental health organization— The term community based mental health organization means an organization that serves individuals with mental health conditions and the families of those individuals in a community setting.
Dispatchable location— The term dispatchable location has the meaning given that term in section 9.3 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.
Handset manufacturer— The term handset manufacturer means a manufacturer of cellular phones.
Local crisis center— The term local crisis center means a call center intended to receive calls from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and the Veterans Crisis Line.
Local government— The term local government means the government of any political subdivision of a State.
Low population State— The term low population State means a State that has no urbanized areas with a population greater than 250,000, as reported in the decennial census.
Mental health services organization— The term mental health services organization means an organization or association that represents providers of mental health crisis services or crisis respite services.
Public safety answering point— The term public safety answering point has the meaning given that term in section 9.3 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.
Telecommunications service provider— The term telecommunications service provider has the meaning given that term in section 52.5(e) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.
Small and rural communities— The term small and rural communities means a noncore area, a micropolitan area, or a small metropolitan statistical area with a population of not more than 250,000, as reported in the decennial census.
State— The term State means any of the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any territory or possession of the United States.
Sec. 3 Establishment of committee
Establishment— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall establish an advisory committee to provide recommendations to address challenges to transmitting geolocation information with calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Membership—
Composition—
In general— The committee shall be composed of 14 members, to be appointed in accordance with subparagraphs (B) and (C).
Appointments by Federal Communications Commission— Of the 14 members of the committee appointed under this paragraph, the Federal Communications Commission shall appoint—
1 member from a telecommunications service provider or an organization that represents telecommunications service providers;
1 member from a handset manufacturer or an organization that represents handset manufacturers;
1 member from a public safety answering point or an organization that represents public safety answering points;
1 member from a 911 system service provider or an organization that represents 911 system service providers;
2 members from a State government, with at least 1 member representing a low population State; and
2 members from a local government, with at least 1 member representing small and rural communities.
Appointments by the Secretary of Health and Human Services— Of the 14 members of the committee appointed under this paragraph, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall appoint—
1 member from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline;
1 member from a local crisis center or an organization that represents local crisis centers;
1 member from the Veterans Crisis Line;
1 member from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration;
1 member from a mental health services organization; and
1 member from a community based mental health organization.
Date— The appointments of the members of the committee shall be made not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
Period of appointment; vacancies—
In general— A member of the committee shall be appointed for the life of the committee.
Vacancies— A vacancy in the committee—
shall not affect the powers of the committee; and
shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
Meetings—
Initial meeting— Not later than 30 days after the date on which all members of the committee have been appointed, the committee shall hold the first meeting of the committee.
Frequency— The committee shall meet at the call of the Chairperson.
Quorum— A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may hold hearings.
Chairperson and Vice Chairperson— The committee shall select a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson from among the members of the committee.
Sec. 4 Duties of Committee
Study— The committee shall conduct a study on—
policy considerations regarding consumer privacy and legal authority with respect to mandating transmission of location information, including dispatchable location information, with calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline;
technical implementation standards for service providers, 911 system service providers, public safety answering points, and local crisis centers; and
potential recovery of costs or additional funding requirements for service providers, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the Veterans Crisis Line, and local crisis centers.
Recommendations— Based on the results of the study conducted under subsection (a), the committee shall develop recommendations on potential legislation that would address challenges relating to the inclusion of location information, including dispatchable location information, with calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Report— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the committee shall submit to appropriate committees of Congress and the Federal Communications Commission a report that contains a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions of the committee, together with the recommendations of the committee for such legislation and administrative actions as the committee considers appropriate.
Sec. 5 Powers of committee
Hearings— The committee may hold such hearings, sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, and receive such evidence as the committee considers advisable to carry out this Act.
Information from Federal agencies—
In general— The committee may secure directly from a Federal department or agency such information as the committee considers necessary to carry out this Act.
Furnishing information— On request of the Chairperson of the committee, the head of the department or agency shall furnish the information to the committee.
Postal services— The committee may use the United States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
Gifts— The committee may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or donations of services or property.
Sec. 6 Committee personnel matters
Travel expenses— A member of the committee shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the committee.
Staff—
In general— The Chairperson of the committee may, without regard to the civil service laws (including regulations), appoint and terminate an executive director and such other additional personnel as may be necessary to enable the committee to perform its duties, except that the employment of an executive director shall be subject to confirmation by the committee.
Compensation— The Chairperson of the committee may fix the compensation of the executive director and other personnel without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, relating to classification of positions and General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay for the executive director and other personnel may not exceed the rate payable for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of that title.
Detail of government employees— A Federal Government employee may be detailed to the committee without reimbursement, and such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege.
Procurement of temporary and intermittent services— The Chairperson of the committee may procure temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals that do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of that title.
Sec. 7 Termination of committee
The committee shall terminate 30 days after the date on which the committee submits the report required under section 4(c) of this Act.
Sec. 8 Funding
This Act shall be carried out using amounts otherwise appropriated, and no additional amounts are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act.