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Senators press for itemized accounting as committee considers replacing 988 phone fee with appropriation
Summary
Committee members discussed funding for 988 (suicide crisis hotline) and debated removing a proposed communications-fee on phone subscribers in favor of a $500,000 appropriation; senators requested an itemized breakdown of prior spending and the rationale for a larger $2.7 million request.
Senators on the Industry and Business Committee spent a substantial portion of the session pressing for clearer, itemized information about funding and expenditures related to 988, the nationwide suicide crisis hotline, and a pending request for larger state support.
Committee members said they were reluctant to impose another communications fee on phone subscribers. Several senators proposed stripping the proposed per-subscriber telephone assessment from the draft legislation and instead placing $500,000 in an appropriation so the Appropriations Committee could review the request and decide a funding source.
Senators repeatedly asked representatives of the 988 program to provide an itemized explanation of how the line-item budget was built. Committee members referenced the prior legislative period when the program received $450,000 through an omnibus appropriation and noted testimony that program operators later indicated a total funding need approaching $2,700,000. Senators said they wanted clarity on what the additional dollars would pay for — personnel, 24/7 staffing, outreach and public awareness costs — before asking citizens to bear another fee.
One senator summarized the committee preference this way: remove the proposed communications-service charge from the bill, include a $500,000 appropriation and move the package to appropriations for further review. Committee members asked staff to draft an amendment to effect that change and to circulate it for committee review later in the day.
What was requested
- An itemized accounting of prior 988 expenditures and a breakdown showing how the program would use any additional funds. - A staffing and operations explanation (number of full-time positions, 24/7 coverage requirements, outreach/marketing costs). - Clarification of proposed funding sources if appropriated funds are recommended (for example, Community Health Trust Fund, general fund or behavioral-health earmarks).
Next steps
Committee staff said they would work with counsel to draft amendment language that removes the communications fee and adds a $500,000 appropriation; the committee planned to revisit the item and consider the amendment later the same day.
