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Read. Follow. Verify.Pennsylvania House Bill 564 Directs Department of Human Services to Create 988 Crisis Lifeline Public Education Campaign
Last action · July 23, 2025: Referred to HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, July 23, 2025Sponsors: Tarah Probst and 31 others
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What This Bill Would Do
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services must launch a public education campaign within 180 days, subject to available funding, to increase awareness and appropriate use of the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline as an alternative to the 911 system. The measure also requires the department to submit initial and updated evaluation reports on lifeline operations and campaign metrics to legislative committees.
Residents across Pennsylvania will encounter new public awareness materials regarding mental health crisis resources, potentially shifting emergency call patterns away from 911 toward specialized support services.
- The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or mental health-related distress. context
- Pennsylvania House Bill 564 amends Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to formalize public education and reporting requirements for mental health crisis infrastructure. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Department of Human Services
The department is tasked with implementing the public education campaign, consulting with various agencies, and submitting evaluation reports to the legislature.
988 crisis call centers
Call centers are designated consultation partners for the campaign and will experience changes in call volume and operational metrics reported by the department.
Emergency responders
Emergency responders, including 911 dispatchers and peace officers, are impacted by efforts to direct mental health crisis calls toward the 988 lifeline instead of 911.
Key Facts
- The Department of Human Services must implement a 988 public education campaign within 180 days of the effective date, subject to available funding.
- The campaign aims to promote 988 services, encourage its use as an alternative to 911, and provide suicide prevention information.
- The department must consult with the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, 988 call centers, advocacy groups, mental health professionals, and individuals with lived crisis experience.
- Campaign materials must be accessible on the department's website, mobile-friendly, available in multiple languages, and compliant with the Taxpayer-Funded Advertising Transparency Act.
Show all 6 facts
- The department must submit an initial report within 180 days detailing awareness efforts, call volume data, answer rates, and budget allocations to specific legislative committees.
- An updated report providing statistics on lifeline operations and campaign impacts must be submitted within one year of the initial report.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main goal of the 988 public education campaign?
Who must the Department of Human Services consult with for the campaign?
What information is required in the initial report to the legislature?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.
Procedural history
11 actions- Jul 23, 2025SenateCommitteeReferred to HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, July 23, 2025
- Jul 23, 2025SenateIn the Senate
- Jul 14, 2025HouseFloorThird consideration and final passage, July 14, 2025 (201-1)
- Jul 14, 2025HouseCommitteeRe-reported as committed, July 14, 2025
- Jul 9, 2025HouseRe-committed to APPROPRIATIONS, July 9, 2025
- Jul 9, 2025HouseFloorSecond consideration, July 9, 2025
Show 5 earlier actions
- Jun 24, 2025HouseCommitteeRe-reported as committed, June 24, 2025
- Jun 4, 2025HouseRe-committed to RULES, June 4, 2025
- Jun 4, 2025HouseIntroducedFirst consideration, June 4, 2025
- Jun 4, 2025HouseReported as amended, June 4, 2025
- Feb 12, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to HUMAN SERVICES, Feb. 12, 2025
Version history & redline
2 versions on fileLobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 27 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Shift Toward Specialized Crisis Response
The measure establishes statutory mechanisms to actively divert mental health crisis calls away from traditional 911 emergency dispatch and toward the 988 lifeline.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.palegis.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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