WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), co-founder of the Senate Mental Health Caucus, announced that his bipartisan legislation to strengthen the cybersecurity protocols for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline was signed into law. The 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act became law as part of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, which reauthorizes key public health programs focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery for patients with substance use disorder.
The bill comes in response to previous outages that resulted in a day-long 988 Lifeline outage for those in crisis. Padilla led the bipartisan legislation alongside U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.).
“People calling the 988 Lifeline shouldn’t be met with disruptions or service outages when struggling with life-threatening mental health issues,” said Senator Padilla. “With our bipartisan bill becoming law, we can better identify and prevent cyberattacks so people in crisis have access to the Lifeline whenever they need it. I will keep working across the aisle to tear down the stigma surrounding mental health and provide lifesaving support for people suffering in silence.”
“I’m grateful to President Trump for his continued support in our critical efforts to strengthen cybersecurity measures for the 988 Lifeline. Suicide is a heartbreaking tragedy, and every life lost is one too many. This bill will keep the lifeline secure to ensure that those experiencing a mental health crisis have access to the resources and support they need when they need it most,” said Senator Mullin. “Though our bill crossed the finish line today, our fight against suicide and the mission to increase awareness, continues.”
Since its launch in July of 2022, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has been contacted over 16.5 million times. The Lifeline’s services are critically important and must stay secure. The cyberattack on the 988 Lifeline in December of 2022 exposed vulnerabilities in the system where individuals who tried to call the suicide prevention hotline were instead greeted with a recorded message informing them of the service outage.
Specifically, Padilla and Mullin’s 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act will increase coordination with the Chief Information Security Officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to better protect the 988 Lifeline from cybersecurity attacks and to eliminate known vulnerabilities. The Lifeline’s network administrator will also be required to notify the government of cybersecurity vulnerabilities and incidents within 24 hours of discovery. Lastly, the Government Accountability Office will be required to conduct a study evaluating cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities in the 988 system.
The 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act is supported by the following groups: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Psychiatric Association, Crisis Text Line, Inseparable, Mental Health America, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, National Alliance on Mental Illness, The Jed Foundation, and Vibrant Emotional Health.
Last year, Padilla applauded the Federal Communications Commission’s adoption of his bipartisan Local 9-8-8 Response Act of 2023, making critical improvements to the 988 Lifeline to help callers access localized, lifesaving behavioral health resources.
Any person in crisis and in need of help can dial 9-8-8 to reach free and confidential professional support 24/7 or can visit 988lifeline.org/chat/ to start a free and confidential conversation. Click here to learn more about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
