Suicide Hotline Funding In Jeopardy

Saturday, June 14th, 2025 -- 12:02 PM

(Rich Kremer, Wisconsin Public Radio) -Some Republican lawmakers are siding with Gov. Tony Evers’ in his call for the state pick up the tab for a suicide prevention hotline amid expectations that federal support will end this fall.

The governor and legislators are asking the GOP-controlled Joint Finance Committee for more than $12 million to maintain the state’s access to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline through 2027. Bills introduced by state Sen. Jesse James, R-Thorp, and state Rep. Benjamin Franklin, R-De Pere, direct the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to award grants to nonprofits that provide mental health crisis care to those calling 988. The legislation doesn’t include any funding, but the lawmakers say they’ll be requesting $12.2 million from the finance committee as it crafts the next state budget. That’s the same amount Gov. Evers requested in his budget proposal, which matches what DHS anticipates it will cost to continue access to the hotline. While the committee hasn’t taken up Evers’ request for the 988 hotline, it has already stripped his budget proposal for just more than $1 million in grant funding for a “warmline” that provides non-emergency help for mental health or substance abuse issues. The national suicide hotline dates back 20 years. In 2022, the Federal Communications Commission designated 988 as the new number, which was funded using COVID-19 American Rescue Plan block grants. Since then, more than 171,000 calls from Wisconsinites have been fielded by mental health counselors, according to DHS. Some federal funding for Wisconsin’s 988 service has already been cut, according to a lawsuit brought by Democratic attorneys general and governors from 23 states, including Wisconsin. A filing by DHS Deputy Secretary Debra Standridge said around $5.8 million in grants from the CDC and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration were terminated this year. That funding has been restored, for now, through a temporary injunction blocking the cuts issued in May. During a public hearing on the GOP bills before the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention Tuesday, the authors didn’t mention the grant terminations. But Franklin said “unfortunately, Wisconsin’s lifeline is no longer expected to receive additional federal support later this year.” Committee member Rep. Robyn Vining, D-Wauwautosa, said it’s “incredibly disappointing” the Trump administration is cutting off funding for the suicide hotline.

“It sounds like Wisconsin is going to have to grab the baton and run with it in order to take care of this,” Vining said. Sen. Sarah Keyeski, D-Lodi, said she’s excited to see the GOP lawmakers push for continued funding of 988 services. But she asked whether they know “why the current administration, that is Republican led, has pulled this funding.” Sen. James said he could not answer that question since he’s not involved with national politics. “But I do know that in our nation, 26 other states have taken the lead in initiating funding for 988 services,” James said. “So, I think that’s extremely appropriate.” Currently, state 988 calls are answered by the nonprofit Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin based in Green Bay. The group’s vice president of programming and strategy, Tana Koss, told the committee that demand for the service remains high with staff responding to another 1,000 calls, texts and messages in May. She said continuing the suicide prevention line “isn’t just a fiscal issue.” “It really is a public health emergency waiting to happen,” Koss said. “We have to ensure this essential safety net doesn’t disappear.” Koss thanked lawmakers for their support, but urged them to think about long-term solutions like legislation to create a small fee on phone bills, similar to how 911 services are funded. “That kind of model has been utilized in other states, across the United States, and it’s something worth considering,” Koss said.

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