[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4007 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 423
117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4007

    To require the Attorney General to propose a program for making 
treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder 
      available to public safety officers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 5, 2022

Mr. Grassley (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Young, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Blunt, 
Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Brown, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Hawley, Mr. Kennedy, Ms. 
 Ernst, Mrs. Blackburn, and Mr. Ossoff) introduced the following bill; 
  which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

                             June 14, 2022

               Reported by Mr. Durbin, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To require the Attorney General to propose a program for making 
treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder 
      available to public safety officers, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Fighting Post-Traumatic 
Stress Disorder Act of 2022''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Congress finds the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Public safety officers serve their communities 
        with bravery and distinction in order to keep their communities 
        safe.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Public safety officers, including police 
        officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and 911 
        dispatchers, are on the front lines of dealing with situations 
        that are stressful, graphic, harrowing, and life-
        threatening.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) The work of public safety officers puts them 
        at risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder and acute 
        stress disorder.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) It is estimated that 30 percent of public 
        safety officers develop behavioral health conditions at some 
        point in their lifetimes, including depression and post-
        traumatic stress disorder, in comparison to 20 percent of the 
        general population that develops such conditions.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Victims of post-traumatic stress disorder and 
        acute stress disorder are at a higher risk of dying by 
        suicide.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Firefighters have been reported to have higher 
        suicide-attempt and ideation rates than the general 
        population.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) It is estimated that between 125 and 300 
        police officers die by suicide every year.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) In 2019, pursuant to section 2(b) of the Law 
        Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017 (Public Law 
        115-113; 131 Stat. 2276), the Director of the Office of 
        Community Oriented Policing Services of the Department of 
        Justice developed a report (referred to in this section as the 
        ``LEMHWA report'') that expressed that many law enforcement 
        agencies do not have the capacity or local access to the mental 
        health professionals necessary for treating their law 
        enforcement officers.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (9) The LEMHWA report recommended methods for 
        establishing remote access or regional mental health check 
        programs at the State or Federal level.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (10) Individual police and fire departments 
        generally do not have the resources to employ full-time mental 
        health experts who are able to treat public safety officers 
        with state-of-the-art techniques for the purpose of treating 
        job-related post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress 
        disorder.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. PROGRAMMING FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS 
              DISORDER.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Definitions.--In this section:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Public safety officer.--The term ``public 
        safety officer''--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) has the meaning given the term in 
                section 1204 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
                Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10284); and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) includes Tribal public safety 
                officers.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Public safety telecommunicator.--The term 
        ``public safety telecommunicator'' means an individual who--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) operates telephone, radio, or other 
                communication systems to receive and communicate 
                requests for emergency assistance at 911 public safety 
                answering points and emergency operations 
                centers;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) takes information from the public and 
                other sources relating to crimes, threats, 
                disturbances, acts of terrorism, fires, medical 
                emergencies, and other public safety matters; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) coordinates and provides information 
                to law enforcement and emergency response 
                personnel.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Attorney General, acting through the 
Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services of the 
Department of Justice, shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary 
of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
Representatives a report on--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) not fewer than 1 proposed program if the 
        Attorney General determines it appropriate and feasible to do 
        so to be administered by the Department of Justice for making 
        state-of-the-art treatments or preventative care available to 
        public safety officers and public safety telecommunicators with 
        regard to job-related post-traumatic stress disorder or acute 
        stress disorder by providing public safety officers and public 
        safety telecommunicators access to evidence-based trauma-
        informed care, peer support, counselor services, and family 
        supports for the purpose of treating or preventing post-
        traumatic stress disorder or acute stress disorder;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) a draft of any necessary legislation required 
        to ensure that confidentiality is afforded to public safety 
        officers on account of seeking the care or services described 
        in paragraph (1) under the proposed program;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) how each proposed program described in 
        paragraph (1) could be most efficiently administered throughout 
        the United States at the State, Tribal, territorial and local 
        levels, taking into account in-person and telehealth 
        capabilities;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) a draft of legislative language necessary to 
        authorize each proposed program described in paragraph (1); 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) an estimate of the amount of annual 
        appropriation necessary for administering each proposed program 
        described in paragraph (1).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Development.--In developing the report required under 
subsection (b), the Attorney General shall consult relevant 
stakeholders, including--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Federal, State, Tribal, territorial, and local 
        agencies employing public safety officers and public safety 
        telecommunicators; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) non-governmental organizations, international 
        organizations, academies, or other entities, including 
        organizations that support the interests of public safety 
        officers and public safety telecommunicators and the interests 
        of family members of public safety officers and public safety 
        telecommunicators.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress 
Disorder Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Public safety officers serve their communities with 
        bravery and distinction in order to keep their communities 
        safe.
            (2) Public safety officers, including police officers, 
        firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and 911 
        dispatchers, are on the front lines of dealing with situations 
        that are stressful, graphic, harrowing, and life-threatening.
            (3) The work of public safety officers puts them at risk 
        for developing post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress 
        disorder.
            (4) It is estimated that 30 percent of public safety 
        officers develop behavioral health conditions at some point in 
        their lifetimes, including depression and post-traumatic stress 
        disorder, in comparison to 20 percent of the general population 
        that develops such conditions.
            (5) Victims of post-traumatic stress disorder and acute 
        stress disorder are at a higher risk of dying by suicide.
            (6) Firefighters have been reported to have higher suicide 
        attempt and ideation rates than the general population.
            (7) It is estimated that between 125 and 300 police 
        officers die by suicide every year.
            (8) In 2019, pursuant to section 2(b) of the Law 
        Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017 (Public Law 
        115-113; 131 Stat. 2276), the Director of the Office of 
        Community Oriented Policing Services of the Department of 
        Justice developed a report (referred to in this section as the 
        ``LEMHWA report'') that expressed that many law enforcement 
        agencies do not have the capacity or local access to the mental 
        health professionals necessary for treating their law 
        enforcement officers.
            (9) The LEMHWA report recommended methods for establishing 
        remote access or regional mental health check programs at the 
        State or Federal level.
            (10) Individual police and fire departments generally do 
        not have the resources to employ full-time mental health 
        experts who are able to treat public safety officers with 
        state-of-the-art techniques for the purpose of treating job-
        related post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress 
        disorder.

SEC. 3. PROGRAMMING FOR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Public safety officer.--The term ``public safety 
        officer''--
                    (A) has the meaning given the term in section 1204 
                of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
                1968 (34 U.S.C. 10284); and
                    (B) includes Tribal public safety officers.
            (2) Public safety telecommunicator.--The term ``public 
        safety telecommunicator'' means an individual who--
                    (A) operates telephone, radio, or other 
                communication systems to receive and communicate 
                requests for emergency assistance at 911 public safety 
                answering points and emergency operations centers;
                    (B) takes information from the public and other 
                sources relating to crimes, threats, disturbances, acts 
                of terrorism, fires, medical emergencies, and other 
                public safety matters; and
                    (C) coordinates and provides information to law 
                enforcement and emergency response personnel.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 150 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Attorney General, acting through the Director of the 
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services of the Department of 
Justice, shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate 
and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a 
report on--
            (1) not fewer than 1 proposed program, if the Attorney 
        General determines it appropriate and feasible to do so, to be 
        administered by the Department of Justice for making state-of-
        the-art treatments or preventative care available to public 
        safety officers and public safety telecommunicators with regard 
        to job-related post-traumatic stress disorder or acute stress 
        disorder by providing public safety officers and public safety 
        telecommunicators access to evidence-based trauma-informed 
        care, peer support, counselor services, and family supports for 
        the purpose of treating or preventing post-traumatic stress 
        disorder or acute stress disorder;
            (2) a draft of any necessary grant conditions required to 
        ensure that confidentiality is afforded to public safety 
        officers on account of seeking the care or services described 
        in paragraph (1) under the proposed program;
            (3) how each proposed program described in paragraph (1) 
        could be most efficiently administered throughout the United 
        States at the State, Tribal, territorial, and local levels, 
        taking into account in-person and telehealth capabilities;
            (4) a draft of legislative language necessary to authorize 
        each proposed program described in paragraph (1); and
            (5) an estimate of the amount of annual appropriations 
        necessary for administering each proposed program described in 
        paragraph (1).
    (c) Development.--In developing the report required under 
subsection (b), the Attorney General shall consult relevant 
stakeholders, including--
            (1) Federal, State, Tribal, territorial, and local agencies 
        employing public safety officers and public safety 
        telecommunicators; and
            (2) non-governmental organizations, international 
        organizations, academies, or other entities, including 
        organizations that support the interests of public safety 
        officers and public safety telecommunicators and the interests 
        of family members of public safety officers and public safety 
        telecommunicators.
                                                       Calendar No. 423

117th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 4007

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

    To require the Attorney General to propose a program for making 
treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder 
      available to public safety officers, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             June 14, 2022

                       Reported with an amendment