Senate passes Barrasso, Luján Suicide Lifeline Bill

CHEYENNE (WNE) — U.S. Sens. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., applauded the U.S. Senate for unanimously passing their bipartisan legislation Monday night to increase the efficiency of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by assessing challenges to transmitting geolocation information.

“The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a vital tool that saves lives in Wyoming and across the country,” Barrasso said in a news release. “I applaud the Senate for unanimously passing our bipartisan bill to help us better connect callers with local emergency services through geolocation information. The House should take up and pass our bill without delay so we can update this critical lifeline to better help those who need it most.”

In 2024, the Federal Communications Commission took action to require service providers to route phone calls to 988 to the nearest call center based on geographic location. Last July, the FCC took steps to require geo-routing for texts. 

Previously, calls and texts were routed based on the phone’s area code, often resulting in a geographic mismatch.

This legislation is supported by the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International.

This story was published on May 15, 2026.