Bill > B26-0462

This bill establishes a new 988 Lifeline and Crisis Services Fund in the District of Columbia to support behavioral health crisis services, specifically those related to the national 988 suicide and crisis lifeline. The fund will be financed through a new monthly fee imposed on telecommunications services, including wireline, wireless, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. For traditional phone services, the fee will be $0.76 per exchange access line, with slight variations for different types of lines, and will apply to up to 5 lines per family or shared plan. For prepaid wireless services, a 2% charge will be collected at the point of sale. The collected funds will be used exclusively to support crisis response services, including staffing, technological infrastructure, mobile crisis teams, crisis stabilization centers, and other acute behavioral health care services. Local exchange carriers can retain up to 2% of collected fees to cover administrative costs, and the fund's revenues will not revert to the general fund at the end of the fiscal year but will remain continuously available. The Mayor must submit annual budget requests and reports about the fund, and the Chief Financial Officer will conduct annual audits to ensure proper use of the funds and compliance with national guidelines.

Health and Social Services

https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B26-0462