Read the full stored bill text
Page 1 - 132LR1956(03)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX
_____
S.P. 505 - L.D. 1216
An Act to Improve Behavioral Health Crisis Services and Suicide Prevention
Services
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 34-B MRSA §1001, sub-§4-C is enacted to read:
4-C. 9-8-8. "9-8-8" means the telephone number designated as the universal telephone
number within the United States for the purpose of the national suicide prevention and
mental health crisis hotline system operating through the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline.
Sec. 2. 34-B MRSA §1001, sub-§4-D is enacted to read:
4-D. 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline. "9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline" means a
national network of local crisis services that provide free and confidential emotional
support to people in suicidal crisis, behavioral health crisis or emotional distress 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week in the United States. The 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline, or its
successor, is the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system
maintained by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use
under the federal Public Health Service Act, 42 United States Code, Section 290bb-36c.
Sec. 3. 34-B MRSA c. 3, sub-c. 3, art. 2, headnote is amended to read:
ARTICLE 2
CRISIS INTERVENTION PROGRAM
Sec. 4. 34-B MRSA §3621, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 349, Pt. H, §21, is repealed.
Sec. 5. 34-B MRSA §3625 is enacted to read:
§3625. Crisis intervention support
The department shall establish crisis intervention support services in all 16 counties.
These services must be community-based programs that provide counseling, consultation,
evaluation, treatment, referral, education and training services, delivered by a crisis
APPROVED
APRIL 3, 2026
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
610
PUBLIC LAW
Page 2 - 132LR1956(03)
intervention team, including mobile crisis intervention teams. The crisis intervention
support services must include:
1. Emergency room services. Crisis intervention and psychiatric emergency services
based in a hospital emergency room;
2. Outreach services. Outreach services and crisis intervention beyond the hospital
setting; and
3. Telephone hotline services. A community-based telephone crisis intervention
hotline, which must coordinate with the 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline, offering
counseling, consultation, evaluation, treatment and referral services 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week.