The nonprofit that handles calls to the 988 suicide hotline and the 211 helpline has asked the state Legislature for greater liability protections for its staff.
The draft measure would also cover 911 operators, as well as the Health and Human Service Department’s mobile crisis teams.
FirstLink handles 988 and 211 calls.
"Liability protection is needed to protect our team members, when working in good faith, within the scope of the individual's employment responsibilities," FirstLink outreach director Jeremy Brown told the Legislature’s interim Health Services Committee. "FirstLink is here to start the conversation of having our state support and protecting our employees."
Brown told the Committee that FirstLink consulted attorneys and the current insurance agency,
"We have concluded that a comprehensive law, to protect FirstLink, 911 and mobile crisis employers is essential," Brown said.
The Committee chairman – Sen. Kristin Roers (R-Fargo) – had a proposed bill drafted for that purpose.
"If you were grossly negligent, this is not going to cover you," Roers said. "If you did everything you could, with the training you had, and the person still completed their suicide, the family can't say you're liable, because you didn't whatever. If you were grossly negligent and encouraged it, then this liability protection would no longer apply."
Two states – Kansas and Washington – have passed 988 liability laws.
