119-sres376

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 376 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
S. RES. 376

 Recognizing suicide as a serious public health problem, expressing 
 support for the designation of September 8, 2025, as ``988 Day'' and 
 the role of 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 September 8, 2025

 Mr. Booker (for himself and Mr. Kennedy) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
 Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Recognizing suicide as a serious public health problem, expressing 
 support for the designation of September 8, 2025, as ``988 Day'' and 
 the role of 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (referred 
 to in this preamble as the ``CDC''), in 2023--

    (1) suicide was the second-leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 
34;

    (2) suicide was responsible for more than 49,000 deaths, or about 1 
death every 11 minutes; and

    (3) suicide was the eleventh-leading cause of death in the United 
States overall;

Whereas, according to the CDC, from 1999 through 2018, the national suicide rate 
 increased by 35 percent;
Whereas suicide and attempts have a devastating and long-lasting impact on 
 individuals, families, and communities across the United States;
Whereas over 90 percent of individuals who die by suicide were living with a 
 diagnosable mental health condition at the time of their death, 
 conditions that are frequently undiagnosed or untreated;
Whereas untreated mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and 
 substance use disorders, significantly increase the risk of suicide;
Whereas access to timely and effective mental health services and crisis support 
 is a vital component of suicide prevention;
Whereas, on July 16, 2022, 988 became the nationwide, three-digit dialing code 
 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, now known as the 988 
 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (referred to in this preamble as the ``988 
 Lifeline'');
Whereas the 988 Lifeline is operated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
 Services Administration (referred to in this preamble as ``SAMHSA'') and 
 connects individuals in crisis to a national network of over 200 State 
 and locally funded crisis centers that are available 24 hours a day, 7 
 days a week;
Whereas the 988 Lifeline offers services in over 150 languages, and provides 
 support through phone, chat, and TTY services for the deaf and hard of 
 hearing, as well as specialized options, including a veterans crisis 
 line, services for Spanish speakers, and services tailored for at-risk 
 populations;
Whereas, since the launch of the 988 Lifeline in July 2022, it has routed nearly 
 18,000,000 contacts, including calls, texts, and chats;
Whereas, according to SAMHSA, a recent study found that 98 percent of callers 
 reported the 988 Lifeline was helpful and 88 percent of callers said the 
 988 Lifeline prevented them from harming themselves;
Whereas, since the original launch of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 
 in 2005, annual contact volume increased steadily by approximately 14 
 percent, with the number of interactions growing from 46,000 in 2005 to 
 over 2,600,000 in 2020;
Whereas, in August 2022, the 988 Lifeline received 112,000 more contacts than 
 the Lifeline did in August 2021, a 45 percent increase;
Whereas, from July 2022 to July 2024, the 988 Lifeline received 10,800,000 
 contacts, and in May 2024 alone, the 988 Lifeline received over 500,000 
 contacts, an increase of 33 percent over May 2023 and 80 percent over 
 May 2022; and
Whereas SAMHSA annually recognizes September 8th as 988 Day, which is observed 
 by organizations nationwide to raise awareness of the service and 
 promote mental health support: Now, therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the Senate--

    (1) supports the designation of September 8, 2025, as ``988 
 Day'';

    (2) recognizes suicide as a serious and growing public 
 health concern in the United States;

    (3) commends the development and implementation of the 988 
 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline as a critical component of the 
 national mental health safety net;

    (4) encourages continued public education and outreach 
 regarding the availability and importance of the 988 Suicide 
 and Crisis Lifeline, particularly for high-risk populations;

    (5) supports Federal, State, and local efforts to expand 
 access to mental health services and crisis intervention 
 programs; and

    (6) supports the goals and ideals of 988 Day as a way to 
 recognize the essential role of the 988 Suicide and Crisis 
 Lifeline in saving lives and supporting mental health across 
 all communities in the United States.
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