Crisis Call Center Fund; created, consistency with federal guidelines. (SB1302)

Introduced By

Sen. Jeremy McPike (D-Dale City)

Description

Crisis call center; Crisis Call Center Fund established. Provides that the crisis call center, which under current law is administered by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Department), shall provide crisis intervention services and crisis care coordination to individuals accessing the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline from any jurisdiction in the Commonwealth 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The bill directs the Department, in its development of the crisis call center, community care teams, and mobile crisis teams, to comply with any applicable requirements of the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 and to provide for consistency with federal guidelines promulgated under such law. The bill contains immunity provisions for any originating service provider and its employees and agents acting pursuant to the act. The bill creates a $0.12 surcharge on postpaid wireless charges and a $0.08 surcharge on prepaid wireless charges to be collected by the Department of Taxation and distributed to the Crisis Call Center Fund, established by the bill, to be used for establishing and administering the crisis call center. The bill also increases the wireless E-911 surcharge from $0.75 to $0.82 and the prepaid wireless E-911 charge from $0.50 to $0.55. The increased revenue shall be dedicated to public safety answering points. Read the Bill »

Status

02/13/2021: Awaiting a Vote in the Finance and Appropriations Committee

History