NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE PROGRAM.

SEC. 9005. NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE PROGRAM. Subpart 3 of part B of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-31 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 520E-2 (42 U.S.C. 290bb-36b) the following: “SEC. 520E-3. NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE PROGRAM “(a) In general.—The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary, shall maintain the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline program (referred to in this section as the ‘program’), authorized under section 520A and in effect prior to the date of enactment of the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Reform Act of 2016. “(b) Activities.—In maintaining the program, the activities of the Secretary shall include— “(1) coordinating a network of crisis centers across the United States for providing suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to individuals seeking help at any time, day or night; “(2) maintaining a suicide prevention hotline to link callers to local emergency, mental health, and social services resources; and “(3) consulting with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that veterans calling the suicide prevention hotline have access to a specialized veterans’ suicide prevention hotline. “(c) Authorization of Appropriations.—To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $7,198,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022.” .