Answering the Call Act of 2026

This Act may be cited as the Answering the Call Act of 2026.
Section 520E–3 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb–36c) is amended—
by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h); and
by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
The Secretary shall conduct outreach activities to address barriers to use of the 9–8–8 national suicide hotline by first responders, including stigma, lack of tailored services, and privacy concerns.
For purposes of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—
in coordination with first responder organizations, carry out programs and activities to promote the 9–8–8 national suicide hotline as a key mental health resource for first responders;
award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to support public awareness campaigns that integrate information about the 9–8–8 national suicide hotline into first responder training programs, wellness policies, and resources maintained by labor organizations;
collect data on the use of the 9–8–8 national suicide hotline by first responders to measure the impact of the hotline and inform future outreach strategies of the Secretary; and
develop and disseminate training programs for counselors and other staff of the 9–8–8 national suicide hotline that incorporate evidence-based, trauma-informed, and behavioral-health-focused best practices that are specific to first responders.
In collecting data under paragraph (2)(C), the Secretary—
shall ensure that the data collected is administered in a manner that protects personal privacy, consistent with applicable Federal and State privacy laws, including through aggregation and de-identification of the data;
shall focus on identifying trends in presenting issues and utilization of the 9–8–8 national suicide hotline for populations served among first responders, rather than collecting personally identifiable information; and
may work in collaboration with State and local partners and use existing public health reporting mechanisms.
In this subsection:
The term first responder includes law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and public safety telecommunicators.
The term first responder organization includes national, State, local, Tribal, and nonprofit firefighter, law enforcement, emergency medical services, and public safety telecommunicator organizations that are recognized for their experience and expertise in fire prevention and safety programs and activities, including labor organizations, professional associations, and peer support and behavioral health organizations serving first responders.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall conduct a pilot program to provide for collaboration between—
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration;
the United States Fire Administration; and
first responder organizations.
The purpose of the pilot program shall be to ensure that outreach activities conducted under section 520E–3(g) of the Public Health Service Act (as inserted by subsection (a) of this section) are appropriately tailored to increase awareness of the 9–8–8 national suicide hotline among first responders.
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to Congress a report on the results of the pilot program conducted under this subsection.
The definitions in section 520E–3(g) of the Public Health Service Act (as inserted by subsection (a) of this section) shall apply to this subsection.