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Committee hears wide support, some funding concerns for 988 crisis‑hotline bill
Summary
Senate Bill 2200 would create a 988 crisis hotline program, a stabilization fund, and authorize a telecommunications access fee to fund the statewide 988 answer and follow‑up services; providers urged the committee to fund a scaled 24/7 operation, while telecom and broadband groups urged general‑fund or federal funding instead of a new phone fee.
Senate Bill 2200, a proposal to create a 988 crisis hotline program and stabilization fund funded in part by a per‑line access fee, drew extensive testimony from providers, advocates, telecom trade groups and state agencies in the Senate Industry and Business Committee hearing.
Senator Kathy Hogan (State Senator, District 21) introduced the bill and framed it as an unfunded federal designation that requires state implementation and stable funding. Hogan said 988 is the nationally designated three‑digit suicide prevention lifeline and that the state’s existing nonprofit provider, First Link, already answers both 988 and the 211 information and referral line. She and other witnesses described rising demand, particularly among youth, and said many parts of the crisis‑response system — phone answering, local mobile crisis teams and crisis stabilization beds — must be coordinated to provide an effective response.
Jennifer Illich, Executive Director of First Link, described operational needs and financial shortfalls. First Link reported 14,190 crisis contacts related to suicide in 2024 and much higher overall call volume for 211 and 988 combined. Illich said the organization needs roughly $2.8 million annually to operate a 24/7 statewide answer center at the scale required, and requested additional staff (about eight FTEs), expanded space, technology upgrades and cybersecurity support. First Link also reported that average interaction times have grown (average call ~12 minutes, text ~22 minutes, chat ~35 minutes) and that the center’s average hold time for 2024 was about 20 seconds. Illich said First Link answered roughly 92% of in‑state phone calls in 2024 but only about 50% of chat and text interactions in‑state because of staffing limits; unanswered or overflow contacts are routed to national backup centers.
Advocacy groups including Mental Health America of North Dakota and the Mental Health Advocacy Network supported the bill, noting that 988 is one leg of a crisis‑response system that also needs responders and places of care. Supporters said timely, local call answering reduces strain on police and emergency medical services and helps connect people to follow‑up care.
Neutral and opposition testimony focused on funding mechanics. CTIA, the wireless trade association, and the Broadband Association of North Dakota urged the Legislature to prefer general fund appropriations or federal funds rather than a new per‑line surcharge, citing the state’s fiscal surpluses and the cumulative tax and fee burden on wireless consumers. Carissa Swenson of the Broadband Association noted legal and technical issues with applying the fee to certain connection types and recommended a single statewide fee and clear statutory limits on how surcharge revenue may be used.
Shannon Fleisher of the Tax Department said the department can collect a surcharge with an upfront programming appropriation; she estimated that at a 25–30¢ fee and an assumption of about 400,000 lines the fee could raise roughly $1.2–1.4 million per year. Senator Hogan indicated the bill proposes a 25¢ per‑line fee and a one‑time $50,000 appropriation to the Tax Department for setup costs; proceeds would be deposited to a 988 crisis stabilization fund managed by the Department of Human Services and used to contract with First Link and other crisis services.
Committee members asked about routing, geolocation, coordination with 911/PSAPs, Minnesota contracts (First Link also answers 17 Minnesota counties under contract), and the effect of federal staffing mandates on rural facilities. First Link and other witnesses described geolocation progress by carriers, the need for local answering to reduce response times, and benefits of the 988‑to‑911 coordination.
The hearing drew substantial interactive testimony but produced no committee vote during the session; committee members requested additional materials and clarification about projected revenues, fund administration and the relationship between the proposed fee and existing state and local telecommunications surcharges.
