S3199-119

What This Bill Does

The 988 Lifeline Location Improvement Act studies how geolocation information, including dispatchable location, could be transmitted with calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. One saved version requires the FCC to open a notice of inquiry within 270 days and requires GAO to report to Congress within 180 days. Another version creates an FCC-HHS advisory committee to study the same issues and recommend possible legislation.

The bill does not itself mandate live location sharing for every 988 call. It focuses on legal authority, consumer privacy, technical implementation standards, cost recovery, and funding needs for telecommunications providers, 911 system service providers, public safety answering points, the 988 Lifeline, the Veterans Crisis Line, and local crisis centers.

Who Benefits and How

People calling 988 in suicidal or mental health crisis, Veterans Crisis Line callers, local crisis centers, emergency communications centers, public safety answering points, crisis-response agencies, and congressional oversight committees benefit from a clearer record on whether geolocation could improve emergency response. Families of callers may benefit if better location tools help responders find a person in crisis when intervention is needed.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Federal Communications Commission, Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, GAO, telecommunications service providers, 911 system service providers, public safety answering points, handset manufacturers, local crisis centers, and advisory committee members must study technical standards, privacy limits, legal authority, cost recovery, and implementation needs. Privacy advocates and callers may face concerns if future policy moves toward mandatory location transmission.

Key Provisions

• Defines 911 system service providers, dispatchable location, emergency communications centers, local crisis centers, and telecommunications service providers.
• Requires an FCC notice of inquiry on geolocation transmission with 988 calls in one version.
• Requires GAO to study opportunities and challenges for 988 geolocation implementation.
• Creates an FCC-HHS advisory committee in another version.
• Requires the study to address consumer privacy, legal authority, technical standards, and cost recovery.
• Requires recommendations or reports to congressional committees.
• Uses existing appropriations and authorizes no new funding in the committee version.