Existing federal law authorizes a state to impose a fee or charge on a commercial mobile communication service or an IP-enabled voice service to fund the operations of a suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline established pursuant to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline program. (47 U.S.C. § 251a) Existing state law requires the State Board of Health to adopt regulations to impose a surcharge of not more than 35 cents per line on certain mobile communication services, IP-enabled voice services and landline telephone services. Existing state law requires telecommunications companies and providers who provide such services to collect the surcharge from customers and transfer the surcharge to the Division of Public and Behavioral Health of the Department of Health and Human Services. Existing state law requires the Division to: (1) deposit the proceeds from the surcharge into the Crisis Response Account; (2) administer the Account; and (3) use the money in the Account to support the operation of a suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline and the services provided to persons who access the hotline. (NRS 433.708) Existing state law requires the Division to support the implementation of that hotline through various activities. (NRS 433.704) Section 1 of this bill adds a requirement for the Division to support the implementation of that hotline by supporting the provision of crisis stabilization services provided at hospitals that hold endorsements as crisis stabilization centers pursuant to existing law. (NRS 449.0915) Section 1.5 of this bill removes the requirement that the Board adopt regulations establishing the amount of the surcharge and instead establishes that amount at 35 cents per line. Section 1.5 also: (1) revises the definitions of certain terms that apply to the surcharge; and (2) requires the telecommunications companies and providers that collect the surcharge to report annually to the Division the average number of lines that were subject to the surcharge for each month of the preceding year. Section 4 of this bill declares any regulations adopted by the Board relating to the surcharge before the effective date of this bill to be void. Section 4.5 of this bill requires telecommunications companies and providers that collect the surcharge to report to the Division on or before July 1, 2023, the average number of lines that met the requirements to be subject to the surcharge for each month of the 2022 calendar year.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 433.708, 704.040
Reprint 1: 433.704, 433.708
Reprint 2: 433.704, 433.708
As Enrolled: 433.704, 433.708
BDR: 433.708, 704.040