Answering the Call Act of 2026

“(g) Outreach to first responders

“(1) In general—The Secretary shall conduct outreach activities to address barriers to use of the 9–8–8 national suicide hotline by first responders, including stigma, lack of tailored services, and privacy concerns.

“(2) Activities—For purposes of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—

“(A) in coordination with first responder organizations, carry out programs and activities to promote the 9–8–8 national suicide hotline as a key mental health resource for first responders;

“(B) award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to support public awareness campaigns that integrate information about the 9–8–8 national suicide hotline into first responder training programs, wellness policies, and resources maintained by labor organizations;

“(C) collect data on the use of the 9–8–8 national suicide hotline by first responders to measure the impact of the hotline and inform future outreach strategies of the Secretary; and

“(D) develop and disseminate training programs for counselors and other staff of the 9–8–8 national suicide hotline that incorporate evidence-based, trauma-informed, and behavioral-health-focused best practices that are specific to first responders.

“(3) Privacy protections—In collecting data under paragraph (2)(C), the Secretary—

“(A) shall ensure that the data collected is administered in a manner that protects personal privacy, consistent with applicable Federal and State privacy laws, including through aggregation and de-identification of the data;

“(B) shall focus on identifying trends in presenting issues and utilization of the 9–8–8 national suicide hotline for populations served among first responders, rather than collecting personally identifiable information; and

“(C) may work in collaboration with State and local partners and use existing public health reporting mechanisms.

“(4) Definitions—In this subsection:

“(A) First responder—The term first responder includes law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and public safety telecommunicators.

“(B) First responder organization—The term first responder organization includes national, State, local, Tribal, and nonprofit firefighter, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and public safety telecommunicator organizations that are recognized for their experience and expertise in fire prevention and safety programs and activities, including labor organizations, professional associations, and peer support and behavioral health organizations serving first responders.”