Establishes telecommunication fee to support Statewide behavioral health crisis system of care.
This bill establishes a $0.40 monthly fee per phone line for New Jersey residents using commercial mobile or IP-enabled voice services, excluding Lifeline program users. The fee is collected by telecom companies and paid quarterly to a new "9-8-8 Suicide Prevention and Behavioral Health Crisis Hotline Trust Fund." Funds from this fee will directly support the state's 9-8-8 crisis system, including routing calls/texts to hotlines, mobile crisis response teams, crisis stabilization services, and public awareness campaigns. The bill aligns with federal requirements under the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Nov 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Nov 13, 2025
Last action Nov 13, 2025
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
1
Key actions
0
Committee
0
Nov 13, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Health Committee
lower
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Ask Maddy
·
AI policy assistant
Ask Maddy about A 5972
Scope: NJ
Hi! I can help you understand A 5972. What would you like to know?
Try one of these
i
Maddy answers using official bill text and legislative records. Always verify before sharing.
Sources cited inline