President signs 9-8-8 suicide hotline bill

On Oct. 17, President Donald Trump signed S. 2661, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, which was introduced by U.S. Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Jack Reed (D-RI).

This bipartisan legislation designates 9-8-8 as the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline, and companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Chris Stewart (R-UT) and Seth Moulton (D-MA).

“I applaud the president for signing my common-sense, bipartisan legislation to shorten the national suicide hotline from 10 digits to three easy-to-remember numbers: 9-8-8,” said Gardner.

“Colorado tragically has one of the highest suicide rates in the country, which is why I’ve made it a priority to work with my colleagues across the aisle for years to make mental health support more available. The COVID-19 pandemic has only increased our state’s mental health needs, and during this unprecedented challenge, suicide prevention is now more important than ever. This change to 9-8-8 will make it easier for Americans dealing with a crisis to access mental health support that could save their lives,” he said.

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