Alaska advocates are urging state lawmakers to support a bill that would increase funding for suicide prevention services, including the national 988 suicide and crisis hotline. The bill would establish a $0.98 monthly surcharge on all Alaska telephone numbers to fund a dedicated Behavioral Health Crisis Services Fund, generating an estimated $6 million to $8 million annually. The money would be used to fund the 988 hotline, as well as state services and programs such as crisis response and outreach teams. Telecom industry members have objected to the bill's funding structure, arguing that a flat per-line fee is regressive and places the cost of behavioral health services on telecommunications subscribers regardless of their ability to pay.