{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3838", "Trahan, Bacon Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support 988 Call Centers", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force, and Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE-02) introduced the bipartisan 988 Call Center Improvement Act. The legislation would authorize $441 million in federal funding for technology and support staff for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, including licensed mental health professionals and training in evidence-based interventions.\n\n\u201cEvery call to 988 is an act of courage made in a moment of crisis,\u201d said Congresswoman Trahan. \u201cMaking sure the people answering those calls have what they need to help is the least we can do. This bill is one piece of the puzzle, not the whole thing. That\u2019s wh\n\nI am working alongside my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support 988 services across the board, so no call goes unanswered and no center is left without what it needs.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen someone calls 988 during a mental health crisis, they should be able to quickly reach trained professionals who can connect them with the care they need,\u201d said Congressman Bacon. \u201cThe 988 Call Center Improvement Act will strengthen local call centers by improving technology, supporting trained staff and expanding follow-up services so more people receive timely, effective help. I\u2019m pleased to join Rep. Trahan on this bipartisan legislation to strengthen our mental health crisis response system.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the 988 Call Center Improvement Act would:\n\nInvest in technology necessary to expand capacity and increase local response rates;\n\nProvide follow-up and follow-through services so that individuals are effectively engaged with local behavioral health crisis options;\n\nSupport staff, including licensed mental health professionals and peer support workers;\n\nTrain staff and volunteers in providing evidence-based interventions, including for high-risk populations.\n\nThe 988 Call Center Improvement Act was included as part of the 988 Implementation Act, acomprehensive legislative package of bipartisan bills led by Trahan, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA-07), and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) to address gaps in care for individuals experiencing mental health crises. The broader bipartisan package would strengthen federal funding for 988 regional and local call centers to deliver timely, 24/7 response to callers while expanding community-based and mobile crisis response and increasing awareness of 988 services.\n\nSince being sworn into Congress in 2019, Trahan has led efforts to expand access to quality mental health care and improve the resources and support of those in need of care. In 2022, President Joe Bidensigned into law Trahan\u2019s Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Memorial Reauthorization Act, which reauthorized and strengthening community-based youth and young adult suicide prevention efforts.\n\nEarlier this year,she led a bipartisan group of 100 House members demanding the Trump administration reverse its decision to terminate thousands of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grants that fund local mental health and addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery programs across the country. This past May, Trahan introduced the bipartisanCampus Lifeline Act of 2026, legislation aiming to expand awareness and access to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for students and young adults.\n\nFull text of the 988 Call Center Improvement Act can be found HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-09T09:27:09Z", "2026-09-09T09:29:04Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3838"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5412052161991596, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}