Georgia House Bill HR713

Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/25/25
• Report Pass: 2/11/26
• Enrolled: 3/31/26
• Passed: 3/31/26

Caption

Healthcare providers; help promote 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline; urge

Summary

House Resolution 713 is a nonbinding resolution urging healthcare providers in Georgia to help promote the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It recognizes that behavioral health conditions, including mental health and substance use disorders, are major public health concerns and that 988 is intended to provide a direct, three-digit connection to suicide prevention and mental health crisis services, separate from 911. The resolution notes that in Georgia, 988 calls, texts, and chats are answered by the Georgia Crisis and Access Line (GCAL) around the clock. The resolution asks healthcare providers to include information about 988 in recorded messages given to patients and other callers, especially in the same way many providers already use recorded messages to explain when to call 911. It also urges the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to work with community partners to develop a script providers can use when adding 988 information to their recordings. The measure does not create a new legal requirement or funding program; it is a public-awareness and outreach measure. Its impact on state law is limited because it is a House resolution rather than a statute. It does not amend the Georgia Code or impose enforceable duties on providers, but it may influence public messaging practices and encourage coordination between healthcare providers and the state behavioral health agency. The practical effect would be broader awareness of 988 among patients and callers who interact with healthcare systems. The available voting history shows strong support, with the House adopting the resolution 165-0. No committee transcript is available, but the unanimous vote suggests broad agreement on the importance of suicide prevention outreach and crisis-line promotion. The overall sentiment appears positive and consensus-driven, with the resolution framed as a public health and awareness initiative rather than a controversial policy change. There is little evident contention in the bill text or voting record. Any potential concern would likely center on whether healthcare providers should be encouraged, rather than required, to modify recorded messages and whether the state should coordinate standardized scripts for private providers. However, the unanimous House vote indicates that no significant opposition surfaced in the available record.

Impact

HR 713 has no direct effect on Georgia statutes because it is a resolution, not legislation amending the Code. Its practical impact is to encourage healthcare providers to add 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline information to recorded messages and to prompt the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities to help develop a model script. The measure is aimed at public education, crisis-response awareness, and better routing of people in mental health or substance-use crises to 988 rather than 911 when appropriate.

Sentiment

The sentiment around the resolution is strongly supportive and noncontroversial. The House adopted it unanimously, 165-0, indicating broad bipartisan agreement on promoting suicide prevention resources and improving public awareness of the 988 Lifeline. The discussion context provided no recorded opposition, and the resolution is framed as a collaborative public health outreach effort.

Contention

There is no recorded substantive contention in the available materials. The only possible policy question implied by the resolution is whether healthcare providers should voluntarily incorporate 988 messaging into recorded phone systems and whether the state should help standardize a script for that purpose. Because the measure is advisory and not mandatory, it appears to have avoided the kinds of disputes that might arise over regulation, provider burden, or state-mandated messaging.