This week, House Bill 138 was introduced by Representative Genevieve Mina. The bill proposes a $0.98 surcharge on monthly phone bills to fund the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, mental health crisis response, and crisis stabilization services in Alaska.
The surcharge would function similarly to the state’s 911 funding model, providing a sustainable way to support mental health emergency services across the state. This is especially important, as Alaska faces a critical mental health crisis, with the second-highest suicide rate in the nation and the highest rate of youth suicide.
House Bill 138 aims to ensure that Alaskans experiencing mental health crises can always access help. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, established in 2022, offers immediate support through calls, texts, or online chat with trained counselors. Mobile crisis teams across Anchorage, Mat-Su, and Fairbanks have already responded to nearly 9,000 incidents in 2024, and they’ve prevented the need for more intensive care in over 80% of those cases…