FCC Tribal Webinar on the 988 Fee Accountability Report
The FCC hosted this webinar to provide Tribes with an overview of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and information about an opportunity to submit 988 fees data. The webinar covered background on the 988 Lifeline and 988 fees, results from the FCC’s first annual 988 fees report, and instructions about how to assist the FCC by submitting a 988 fees questionnaire. The FCC is required to submit an annual report to Congress regarding the collection and distribution of 988 fees and charges and solicits input from States, political subdivisions, Indian Tribes, or villages or regional corporations established pursuant to the Alaska Native Settlement Act about actions they may have taken in this area in the past calendar year. Input from these entities is critical, and this webinar provided information targeted specifically to Tribal entities about the fee questionnaire and explained how valuable Tribal input is to the FCC’s efforts to collect accurate data.
In 2020, Congress enacted the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act (Suicide Hotline Act) designating 988 as the universal telephone number within the United States for the purpose of the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system. The Suicide Hotline Act also provided that States, political subdivisions, Indian Tribes, or villages or regional corporations established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, may impose and collect a fee for 988-related services, including (1) efficient and effective routing of calls made to 988 to an appropriate crisis center; and (2) personnel and acute mental health, crisis outreach, and stabilization services to respond to 988 calls.
Tribal and other entities are asked to download and complete the questionnaire, even if they are not collecting or distributing 988 fees, and submit via email to the FCC at 988feereport@fcc.gov. This Annual report covers the period of January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022.
This event was free, and open to the public.
The second annual 988 Fee Accountability Report questionnaire is due by July 17, 2023.
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