Senate Passes Bipartisan Padilla, Mullin Bill Strengthening Cybersecurity for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), co-founder of the bipartisan Senate Mental Health Caucus, and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) announced that the Senate unanimously passed their bipartisan legislation to strengthen the cybersecurity protocols for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in response to previous outages that resulted in a day-long outage for those in crisis. The 9-8-8 Lifeline Cybersecurity Responsibility Act passed 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.

"People struggling with their mental health shouldn't be met with disruptions or service outages when they call the 988 Lifeline at the most critical times of need. We can't let cybersecurity vulnerabilities get in the way of providing lifesaving support," said Senator Padilla. "I am glad to see the Senate unanimously pass our bipartisan bill to better identify and prevent cyberattacks so people in crisis have access to the Lifeline whenever they need it."

"I am grateful to my colleagues for their support of this critical legislation. Increasing cybersecurity measures for the 988 Lifeline is imperative to suicide prevention," said Senator Mullin. "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."

Since its launch in July of 2022, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has received 10.8 million contacts, including 1.4 million within the Veterans Crisis Line. 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 requires coordination between the Lifeline and the Chief Information Security Officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to prevent cybersecurity attacks and eliminate known vulnerabilities. The suicide hotline's network administrator would also be required to notify the government of cybersecurity vulnerabilities and incidents within 24 hours of discovery. Lastly, the Government Accountability Office would 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.

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