9–8–8 Connect Act

Plain-English Summary: 9-8-8 Connect Act

The 9-8-8 Connect Act appears to be legislation related to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which is the three-digit phone number Americans can call or text to reach mental health crisis support. While no official description was provided, based on the bill's title and its referral to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce (which oversees telecommunications), this bill likely addresses how the 988 system connects callers to local crisis centers, improves routing of calls, or expands access and funding for the lifeline's services.

The 988 Lifeline was established to give people experiencing a mental health crisis, thoughts of suicide, or emotional distress a simple, easy-to-remember number to call — similar to how 911 works for emergencies. Bills targeting this system typically aim to strengthen things like call routing to local centers, funding for crisis call centers, or ensuring callers are connected to appropriate resources quickly and reliably.

This bill would most likely affect people in mental health crises, their families, mental health crisis center workers, and telecommunications providers who help route 988 calls. It could also impact state and local governments that operate or fund crisis centers.

Note: Because no official bill text or description was provided, this summary is based on the bill's title and committee referral. For the most accurate details, readers are encouraged to check the full bill text at congress.gov.