9–8–8 and 9–1–1 Integration Act

The Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as the Secretary), in consultation with the Attorney General, shall convene a panel (referred to in this section as the panel) to issue recommendations relating to the training requirements and protocols for 9–1–1 dispatchers.

The purpose of the recommendations to be issued under subsection (a) shall be to ensure that 9–1–1 dispatchers respond appropriately to individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis based on the characteristics of the incident and the needs of the caller.

The panel shall be composed of members to be appointed by the Secretary and shall include—

(A) psychiatrists;

(B) paramedics and other emergency medical services personnel;

(C) law enforcement officers and 9–1–1 dispatchers;

(D) representatives from each segment of the crisis response continuum, including 9–8–8 dispatchers;

(E) members of underserved communities;

(F) representatives of Tribes or Tribal organizations;

(G) individuals with experience treating individuals with serious mental illness or post-traumatic stress disorder, including veterans and servicemembers; and

(H) such other individuals as the Secretary determines appropriate.

The Secretary shall appoint the members of the panel to serve staggered 5-year terms.

In making recommendations under subsection (a), the panel shall consider—

(A) connecting 9–1–1 callers to crisis care services instead of responding with law enforcement officers;

(B) integrating the 9–8–8 system into the 9–1–1 system, or transferring calls from the 9–1–1 system to the 9–8–8 system as appropriate;

(C) a process for—

(i) identifying 9–1–1 callers who may be experiencing psychiatric symptoms or a mental health crisis, substance use crisis, or co-occurring crisis; and

(ii) evaluating the level of need of such callers, as defined by relevant, standardized assessment tools such as the Level of Care Utilization System (LOCUS), the Child and Adolescent Level of Care Utilization System (CALOCUS), and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Criteria; and

(D) establishing training, staffing, and protocol requirements, including the measures described in paragraph (2), to ensure that 9–1–1 and 9–8–8 dispatch personnel are equipped to respond appropriately to the individuals referred to in subparagraphs (E) through (H) of subsection (c)(1).

The measures referred to in paragraph (1)(D) include—

(A) training of dispatch personnel on cultural competency, implicit bias, and evidence-based best practices for individuals experiencing a behavioral or mental health crisis; and

(B) procedures designed to recruit, retain, or designate as dispatch personnel those individuals that have specialized training or demonstrated experience in—

(i) serving rural or medically underserved communities; or

(ii) serving individuals with serious mental illness or post-traumatic stress disorder.

In developing recommendations under paragraph (1), the panel shall coordinate with the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use for the purpose of ensuring consistency across Federal behavioral health crisis response systems, including alignment of—

(A) the training and protocol requirements for 9–1–1 dispatchers; and

(B) the development of guidance, training standards, and best practices issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for the 9–8–8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

The panel shall update recommendations issued under subsection (a) not less frequently than once every 5 years.

The panel shall develop data collection and reporting standards for use by the Secretary in collecting and assessing outcomes for individuals who contact 9–1–1 or 9–8–8 systems, including—

(A) the extent to which callers are successfully connected to crisis care services;

(B) the frequency of law enforcement involvement in such responses; and

(C) any disparities in response times, referrals, or outcomes compared to the general population or between different types of populations.

In developing the standards under paragraph (1), the panel shall ensure that data is collected in a manner that protects caller privacy and confidentiality.

In developing the standards under paragraph (1), the panel shall coordinate with entities participating in the National 911 Program, including—

(A) the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration;

(B) the Federal Communications Commission;

(C) the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency;

(D) the National Telecommunications and Information Administration; and

(E) State and local agencies operating 9–1–1 call centers.

On the date of issuance of recommendations under subsection (a), and on the date of issuance of each update of such recommendations, the panel shall submit to Congress a report containing the finding and recommendations of the panel.

Section 1013(a)(2) of title 5, United States Code (relating to the termination of advisory committees), shall not apply to the Commission.