Transcripts For CSPAN2 FCC 20240703 : comparemela.com

Transcripts For CSPAN2 FCC 20240703

Suicide prevention hotline. This is just under two hours. Good morning and welcome to the april 2024 open meeting of the federal Communications Commission. Madam secretary, will you please introduce our judges for today . Good morning to you, and good morning, commissioners. For todays meeting, you will be presented with two items and five Enforcement Actions for your consideration. First, you will consider a second further noticed of proposal making that would propose to require the implementation of one or more geo routing solutions for wireless calls to the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline, to make sure calls are routed a geographic location rather than the area code and exchange associated with a Wireless Phone. Second, you will consider a declaratory ruling, order, and order on reconsideration that would reestablish the commissions authority to protect consumers and safeguard the fair and open internet by classifying Broadband Internet Access Service as a Telecommunications Service, and classifying mobile Broadband Internet access is a commercial mobile service, exercising brought and tailored forbearance, and reinstating strict forward and straightforward rules to ensure internet openness. Third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, you will consider separate Enforcement Actions. This is your agenda for today. Todays first item is titled implementation of the National Suicide hotline act of 2018, and will be presented by the water Line Commission bureau. Thank you so much, madam secretary. Before we turn to the bureau for their presentation, we have a very special guest. I would like to introduce the chief executive officer of every mind. They are a Nonprofit Organization with a mission to strengthen communities and empower individuals to raise optimal mental wellness. The execute the organizations strategic plans. She ensures every mind has the infrastructure and Financial Resources to meet its ambitious goals, maintain an Extensive Network of partners and funders as she advances local and regional agendas for Mental Health advocacy. She is also a crucial steward of the culture and values. The most important thing you should know is that she is here today because she has spearheaded the expansion of Mental Health programs in Montgomery County, maryland, which is in our own backyard, and she has been providing direct Mental Health support education to over 50,000 children, youth, adults, older adults, veterans, and their families. I would like her to start off our discussion of 988 today and tell us what she knows from her role leading every mind and heard many Years Experience with Mental Health wellness and suicide prevention. So, take it away. Thank you. Good morning, madam chairwoman. Esteemed commissioners. I extend my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to address you this morning. Representing every mind, an organization deeply committed to enhancing Mental Health and wellness, i speak with conviction on the importance of implementing geo riding within the 988 infrastructure. Our work spans diverse democratic fix, focusing on underserved communities, stigma reduction, and improving access to Mental Health services. For over 50 years, our 24seven hotline has been a cornerstone of support, offering free and confidential assistance to individuals in crisis. As one of the original centers in the National Suicide prevention lifeline network, we have continuously evolved, pioneering Tech Services in maryland over a decade ago. Our dedicated team of 50 frontline crisis counselors anticipates providing supportive listening and suicide intervention on over 50,000 calls and texts this year. Despite our efforts, challenges persist, especially in routing calls and texts from transient areas such as Montgomery County and the National Capital region. Allow me to illustrate the significance of georouting with two poignant examples from our hotline. Maddie, a crisis counselor on our team, received a text through 98 from8 eli, a 16yearold, who bravely confided his mother was contemplating suicide. Eli texted 988 looking for help. While providing eli with much needed support and guidance for how to approach the situation with his mom, maddy reached out to the Montgomery County Crisis Center, guiding them through the situation with Vital Information to assess the need for a mobile crisis team response. Once it was realized that the situation was dire, with compassion and astute questioning, maddie was swiftly able to coordinate with the local crisis services. Maddies guidance led to the dispatch of the mobile crisis team, highlighting the profound impact of leveraging local resources in moments of crisis. Conversely, imagine receiving texts from a maryland number, but the person in need is actually across the country. Crisis counselors like ours across the nation faced immediate hurdles. They rely on the visitor to share specific location details, which can be uncomfortable. For example, one of our crisis hotline counselors, erin, answered a call from reina, a woman experience in a panic attack after a devastating Breast Cancer diagnosis. Despite the maryland area code, she is now living in utah and was calling from a parking lot, unable to afford her medical bills. Erin, unfamiliar with utah services, focused on validating reinas feelings and ensuring her safety for the rest of the afternoon. Our counselor erin knows the services to help connect people facing trauma, isolation, and a need of social and emotional support in maryland, but not in utah. Erins options to provide support to reina become more limited and more uncertain. The absence of georouting limited her ability to provide tailored support, underscoring the urgent need for a more effective system. How many people have a different area code from where they reside . I do. Nowhere is this more evident than in washington, d. C. Area, where the Pure Research center estimates that 50 of residents with a cell phone have a number from outside the district. According to the census bureau, approximately 36 million americans move residents every year, but they rarely change their cell phone number. Georouting offers a viable solution to these pressing challenges by directing calls and texts to the nearest Crisis Center while safeguarding confidentiality, georouting ensuring swift access to support in moments of crisis. Moreover, it empowers organi moreover, it empowers organizations like ofza remind to identify areas of high demand facilitating targeted resource allocation and enhancing service delivery. Since the launch of 90 days in 2022, the demand for Mental Health services has surged dramatically. Annual calls increased 50 in the first year. An additional 30 in the second year. Tech support request to our hotline have risen by 500 in the same period. With a significant portion originating from young people under the age of 20 for highlighting the urgent need for acceptable Mental Health services. Despite this escalating demand, awareness of 90 days remains low. Pulling conducted by the Pew Charitable trust revealed only 13 of people are aware 90 days exists. This lack of awareness coupled with ineffective routing systems, layers of complexity and service provision. As one of marylands nine Crisis Call Centers to the 90 day suicide and crisis lifeline, every mind is at the forefront of providing vital support to those in need. Our unwavering commitment to Mental Health advocacy compels us to wholeheartedly endorse implementation of geo routing within the 90 day infrastructure. In conclusion i urge the commission to approve this proposal to ensure equitable access to timely, local Mental Health support and crisis services, to ensure every caller receives the same highquality, effective, lifesaving services that eli and his mother did. Together we can save countless lives. Thank you for your attention and dedication to this critical issue. Thank you. Thank you so much, and for your words today and setting the stage, very important what we are about to embark on, really appreciate you being here. With that, our chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau, lets proceed. Good morning madam chairwoman and commissioners, and thank you for the inspirational message and reminding us what we are working toward. The Wireline Competition Bureau is pleased to present a second further notice of rulemaking that if adopted would take an important step towards improving access to lifesaving Services Provided by the 988 suicide, i would like to think the bureau team for their hard work and colleague in Public Safety and Homeland Security bureau, the wireless to the communications bureau, office of communications and office of economic and analytics and general counsel for their crucial reviewing. I would like to thank our federal partners at the us to permit of health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health services. Seated at the table with me from the bureau are heather hendrixon, Deputy Division chief fresh in from chicago this morning, mary, merry wulff who will present the items. Thank you. The United States continues to face a suicide and Mental Health crisis. According to the centers for Disease Control and prevention suicide was the leading cause of death in the United States in 2021 resulting in 48,000 deaths. 982 crisis lifeline provides critical lifesaving services to people in suicidal crisis or Emotional Distress and it is a vital component of the nationwide response to this ongoing Mental Health crisis. Over the last several years the commission facilitates access to the 980 lifelines Vital Services by designating 988 as the number for callers to reach the lifeline and by requiring providers to route texans to the 298 lifeline. Since the nationwide transition in july 2022, the lifeline has received and routed over 9. 6 million calls, texts and tests. Based on the original design of the lifeline system callers may not receive support from local Crisis Centers. Approximately 80 of calls to the 980 lifeline are made from Wireless Phones and the system currently routes the phone call to Crisis Centers based on a callers area code and exchange, which presents challenges because many callers have Wireless Phones that dont match their physical location. These discrepancies may be more prevalent in groups like College Students and servicemembers. Mental health and crisis counselors have opined that connecting callers to local Crisis Centers is essential to ensure they have access to local Public Resources and Public Safety resources. Moreover local crisis counselors may be more knowledgeable about unique community stressors and other regional, cultural and economic factors impacting callers in distress. This is highlighted in the need to improve wireless cost of the 988 lifeline, callers connected to Crisis Centers based on the callers location through a process known as geo routing. Geo routing refers to Technical Solutions for directing calls based on geographic location for the origin of the call without transmitting information about the callers precise location. The second further notice of proposed rulemaking, if adopted, would continue to Commission Work to provide meaningful access to the 988 lifeline and build on the progress made by stakeholders by proposing to adopt rules require wireless carriers, implementing geo routing solution for calls to 988 lifeline, the second further notice would seek comments to obtain information necessary to thoroughly and transparently consider geo routing solutions that fall within the scope of that mandate and identify remaining work to implement a geo routing solution. Next, if adopted, second further notice would seek, donna variety of aspects related to implementing the geo routing solution for the 988 lifeline including Technical Specifications and limitations, required routing data and transmission methods, necessary infrastructure and system changes are upgraded, testing requirements and timelines. The second further notice if adopted would also see comment on routing challenges on potential or needed geo routing solutions for texts to the 988 lifeline. Lastly, a second further notice if adopted is to comment on the commissions authority to adopt rules require wireless carriers to present one or more geo routing inclusion for 988 lifeline, the bureau recommends adoption of the second further notice of proposed rules about making and requests that they stay with it. Thank you. We will not here comments starting with commissioner carr. A year ago, in sioux falls, i had the chance to visit the Helpline Center which organizes mental and behavioral Health Services and answers over one hundred thousand calls to 988 the year. That is why i had a chance to meet janet, one of the helpline counselors, someone that makes a difference in peoples lives every single day she goes to work. The story she told me were very similar to the ones we heard about communications between maddie and ellie. The point janet and her colleagues conveyed to me was 90 day makes a real difference because she noted it is easy to remember number has resulted in people reaching out for help earlier in the lifecycle of a crisis, that has resulted in their counselors being able to be more effective in the help they provide. They estimate since 980 988 was ruled out they seem to hundred increase in the number of calls and texts coming into the center but they also thought there was more they could do to help improve the system in particular they flagged call routing with mobile phones and affordability as we heard, people dont always call 988 from the same Geographic Area associated with their area code, someone reaching out in south dakota, helpline located somewhere else, as we heard with the call between aaron and reina. There has to be a way to route these calls to local helplines while continuing to protect the privacy of callers and making sure they are not discouraged from reaching out for help. Thats exactly the idea the chair has put forward today. I want to thank chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, i want to recognize senators barrasso and lou hann for their leadership in efforts to advance the bipartisan 980 lifeline location improvement act. This is legislation to ensure we have strong footing necessary to make sure this vital resource continues to be successful. I think the staff for their work on this important issue. Thank you for that. Commissioner stark. Thank you, madam chairwoman. I want to thank you for your testimony, your powerful advocacy, what you have been doing for folks having Mental Health issues. Thats a startling statistic that tech Service Needs 500 . That is something that is, we should all take note of. More than anything, i am proud that we have been able to move so quickly to deliver critical results for the American People, all the pieces in many ways of lined up for the 3 digit code we are talking about, 988. Since the nationwide transition in july of 2,022, the lifeline has, as we heard received and routed 9. 6 million calls, texts and chats which i would call that success but as weve heard quite clearly, there is more room for us to do better, to continue to grow. Our primary responsibility at the fcc is to ensure meaningful access to the lifeline, weve done this by setting forth reliability, resiliency, outage reporting requirements and today we continue on that theme following the council of Mental Health advocates proposing to require geo routing solutions for 988. Currently, as we heard one a caller dials 988, the call is routed to a

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