9-8-8 Call Center Improvement Act

The 9-8-8 Call Center Improvement Act amends the Public Health Service Act to establish a new program for regional and local lifeline call centers. This program authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to both new and existing crisis call centers. The grants are specifically designed to support several critical areas, including the purchase or upgrade of call center technology , the training of call center staff , and overall improvements to call center operations . Additionally, funds can be used to facilitate the hiring of new call center staff , thereby expanding capacity. For fiscal year 2027, $441,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the provisions of this section, with funds remaining available until expended.