On Tuesday, July 16, State Representatives Tarah Probst (189th) and Tarik Khan (194th) circulated a Co-Sponsorship Memorandum to all House members announcing plans to introduce legislation to create a public awareness campaign for the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
July 16 also marks 2 years since the Lifeline transitioned from a ten-digit number to the easy to recall and quick to dial three-digit 988. People can call or text with trained counselors through the 988 Lifeline, which is both free and confidential and is available 24/7. 988 was launched by Congress in 2020 through the American Rescue Plan, but as the nearly $1 billion federal investment begins to run out, states are tasked with finding alternative sources of funding. Ten states have enacted legislation to fund 988 with a cell phone tax, however, Pennsylvania is not one of them. In June of 2023, House Bill 1305, which would have funded 988 with a new 6-cent cell phone fee, successfully passed through the House of Representatives; despite it's overwhelming bipartisan support, the bill was tabled in the Senate.
In December, State Senator Rosemary Brown, who represents all of Monroe County and parts of Lackawanna and Wayne, successfully directed the Senate Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to include language in the fiscal code to conduct a study of 988. Senator Brown is the Chair of the Senate Mental Health Caucus and says she was moved to advocate for 988 after meeting with Fe and Gareth Hall, whose 19 year old son, Christian, was killed by police in 2020 after calling 911 during a mental health crisis. Since Christian's death, his parents have traveled across the state advocating for more mental health resources and for a more appropriate crisis response. For example, in May, the Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed a resolution honoring the life of Christian J. Hall, acknowledging both Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and urging the Senate to pass House Bill 1305.
Also worth noting, Governor Shapiro included $10 million in his 24-25 fiscal year budget to be distributed to 988 call centers across the Commonwealth, nearly doubling the amount allocated for 988 last year.