SC New York News

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote this month on a rule to reroute all 988 Crisis Lifeline calls to local call centers. This move follows bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Representative Marc Molinaro (NY-19). Last year, Rep. Molinaro began advocating for this change and wrote a bill directing the FCC to implement it.

Currently, 988 calls are routed based on the caller's area code, unlike 911 calls which are directed to a local call center based on the caller’s current location. This discrepancy means that if someone moves or travels, their call to 988 could be sent to a call center far from their actual location. The effectiveness of 988 is reduced if the person answering the call is unfamiliar with the caller’s location and cannot provide accurate local resources.

The proposed FCC rule will require all U.S. wireless carriers to use georouting technology, ensuring that calls to 988 are directed to local call centers.

Rep. Molinaro stated, “People in crisis need local support from experts who know their communities. This change will make the 988 Crisis Lifeline more effective and accessible for everyone, and I’m proud to have led the effort to get it done.”