Immunity for 911 call centers and dispatchers that transfer callers to the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the official text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-0667/1
KRP:cdc

2025 SENATE BILL 309
June 4, 2025 - Introduced by Senators James, Keyeski, Marklein, Quinn and Wanggaard, cosponsored by Representatives VanderMeer, Dittrich, Behnke, Brill, Kaufert, Knodl, Maxey, Melotik, Murphy, Mursau, O'Connor, Ortiz-Velez, Penterman and Tittl. Referred to Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families.

An Act to create 256.35 (7) (c) of the statutes; relating to: immunity for 911 call centers and dispatchers that transfer callers to the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill provides that any public safety answering point, more commonly known as a 911 call center, or dispatcher that transfers a caller to the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is generally immune from civil liability for any outcomes resulting from the transfer.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. 256.35 (7) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
256.35 (7) (c) 1. In this paragraph, “national crisis hotline” means the telephone or text access number “988,” or its successor, that is maintained under the federally administered program under 42 USC 290bb-36c.
2. Any public safety answering point or dispatcher that transfers a caller to
the national crisis hotline is immune from civil liability for any outcomes resulting from the transfer.
3. Subdivision 2. does not apply if the injury claimed to have resulted from the transfer is the result of an act or omission that constitutes gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct by the dispatcher or public safety answering point.
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