Answering the Call Act of 2026

9-8-8 outreach for first responders

If enacted, this bill would direct the HHS Secretary to run outreach promoting the 9-8-8 suicide hotline for first responders. The Secretary would work with first responder organizations and could award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to add 9-8-8 information into training, wellness policies, and labor organization resources. HHS would develop trauma-informed, evidence-based training for 9-8-8 counselors and collect aggregated, de-identified data on first responder hotline use with privacy protections. The bill would create a pilot led by the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use with SAMHSA and the U.S. Fire Administration, and require a report to Congress not later than 3 years after enactment. The bill defines first responders to include law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs, and public safety telecommunicators, and defines first responder organizations to include labor groups, professional associations, and peer support and behavioral health organizations.