Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HR 713: Healthcare providers; help promote 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline; urge
Last action March 31, 2026 · House Passed/Adopted
A Georgia House resolution urges healthcare providers statewide to promote the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by including information about it in recorded phone messages to patients.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This resolution addresses how Georgians learn about the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, a national three-digit number that connects callers to suicide prevention and mental health crisis resources, separate from 911. In Georgia, 988 calls, texts, and chats are answered around the clock by the Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL). The resolution urges healthcare providers across the state to include information about 988 in the recorded messages patients and other callers hear. It also urges the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to work with community partners to develop a sample script providers could use for this purpose. It directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the department, the public, and the press.
What the bill does
- Urges Georgia healthcare providers to add information about the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to their recorded phone messages for patients and callers.
- Urges the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to work with community partners to create a script providers can use for this purpose.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to the department, the public, and the press.
- Does not create any legal requirement, funding, or penalty; it expresses the House's position rather than changing Georgia law.
Who it affects
Healthcare providers in Georgia who use recorded phone messages for patients, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and its community partners, and members of the public who may call providers' offices and could benefit from hearing about the 988 crisis line.
Why it matters
If providers adopt the suggestion, more Georgians calling their doctor's office or another healthcare line could learn about the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline as an alternative to 911 for mental health and suicide crises, potentially increasing awareness and use of the service.
Key provisions
- First resolution clause urges healthcare providers statewide to include 988 information in recorded messages given to patients and other callers.
- Second resolution clause urges the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to develop, with community partners, a script providers can use for this messaging.
- Third resolution clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the department, the public, and the press.
- The whereas clauses note that 988 calls in Georgia are answered by the Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
From the bill
“the members of this body urge healthcare providers in the State of Georgia to include information about the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the recorded information provided to their patients and other callers.”
“988 calls, texts, and chats in the State of Georgia are answered by the Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year”
Discussed in meetings (4)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Public and Community Health Committee, February 10, 2026
From 0:11:52 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HR 713 would encourage, not require, healthcare providers to include information about 988 in telephone messages alongside instructions to call 911 for emergencies. The sponsor described the goal as increasing awareness of mental health crisis help and said local 911 centers sometimes redirect callers to 988. A committee member asked whether a resolution was necessary and how much the state had spent publicizing the service. The sponsor said providers could already share the information, characterized the resolution as encouragement across the healthcare sector, and did not have the spending figure. The committee approved the resolution by voice vote. Afterward, the chair raised concerns about suicide among young men addicted to sports betting and asked whether 988 callers reach a trained person. The sponsor confirmed that they do.
House floor session, March 31, 2026 (legislative day 39, part 3)
From 0:43:14 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 4137
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said the resolution encourages healthcare providers to include information about the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in recorded messages to patients. The sponsor emphasized that this is voluntary, not a requirement, and said the line operates around the clock and connects people with trained professionals through the Georgia Crisis & Access Line. The sponsor also encouraged families to teach children about 988. There were no questions. The House adopted the resolution, 167 to 0.
House Rules Committee, March 31, 2026
From 0:26:59 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 4136
Summary by Georgia Commons: The committee placed the resolution on the second supplemental calendar after a motion and second. No opposition was voiced, and there was no substantive discussion.
Status timeline
- House Passed/Adopted (House)
- House Third Readers (House)
- House Committee Favorably Reported (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Will Wade (R, HD-9)
- Deborah Silcox (R, HD-53)
- Rob Clifton (R, HD-131)
- Inga Willis (D, HD-55)
- Johnny Chastain (R, HD-7)
- Omari Crawford (D, HD-89)
Votes
- House voteMarch 31, 2026
167 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 8 excused)
Topics
- mental health
- suicide prevention
- 988 crisis line
- healthcare providers
- public health awareness