[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2763 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2763
To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to improve the
detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among
public safety telecommunicators.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 20, 2023
Ms. Kelly of Illinois (for herself, Mrs. Torres of California, Mr.
Fitzpatrick, Ms. Norton, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Ms. Titus, Mr. Kim of New
Jersey, Ms. Scholten, Ms. Budzinski, and Mr. Vasquez) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to improve the
detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among
public safety telecommunicators.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Providing Resources and Occupational
Training for Emotional Crisis and Trauma in 911 Act'' or the ``PROTECT
911 Act''.
SEC. 2. BEST PRACTICES AND OTHER RESOURCES FOR ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH
IN PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS.
(a) Best Practices.--The Secretary shall--
(1) develop and make publicly available evidence-based best
practices to identify, prevent, and treat posttraumatic stress
disorder and co-occurring disorders in public safety
telecommunicators; and
(2) periodically reassess and update, as the Secretary
determines necessary, such best practices.
(b) Development of Resources for Educating Mental Health
Professionals About Treating Public Safety Telecommunicators.--The
Secretary shall develop and make publicly available resources that may
be used by the Federal Government and other entities to educate mental
health professionals about--
(1) the culture of emergency communications centers;
(2) the different stressors experienced by public safety
telecommunicators;
(3) challenges encountered by retired public safety
telecommunicators; and
(4) evidence-based therapies for mental health issues
common to public safety telecommunicators.
(c) Consultation.--In developing best practices under subsection
(a) and resources under subsection (b), the Secretary shall consult
with--
(1) public health experts;
(2) mental health experts with experience studying suicide,
posttraumatic stress disorder, and other illnesses associated
with job-related stress;
(3) clinicians with experience in diagnosing and treating
mental health issues; and
(4) relevant national nonprofit associations of public
safety telecommunicators.
(d) Definitions.--
(1) Emergency communications center.--The term ``emergency
communications center'' means a facility that is designated to
receive a 9-1-1 request for emergency assistance and perform
one or more of the following functions:
(A) Process and analyze 9-1-1 requests for
emergency assistance and other gathered information.
(B) Dispatch appropriate emergency response
providers.
(C) Transfer or exchange 9-1-1 requests for
emergency assistance and other gathered information
with other emergency communications centers and
emergency response providers.
(D) Analyze any communications received from
emergency response providers.
(E) Support incident command functions.
(2) Public safety telecommunicator.--The term ``public
safety telecommunicator'' means a public safety
telecommunicator as designated in detailed occupation 43-5031
in the Standard Occupational Classification Manual of the
Office of Management and Budget (2018), or any successor
designation.
SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS WITHIN
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS.
Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 243
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 320C. GRANTS FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS WITHIN
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award grants to State,
local, and regional emergency communications centers and other eligible
entities for the purpose of establishing or enhancing behavioral health
and wellness programs.
``(b) Program Description.--A behavioral health and wellness
program funded under this section shall--
``(1) establish evidence-based behavioral health and
wellness programs for emergency communications centers to
support public safety telecommunicators, including programs
dedicated to raising awareness of, preventing, and mitigating
job-related mental health issues;
``(2) establish or enhance peer-support behavioral health
and wellness programs;
``(3) acquire materials or instructors to provide such
training; and
``(4) disseminate such information and materials as are
necessary to carry out the program.
``(c) Definitions.--
``(1) Emergency communications center.--The term `emergency
communications center' means a facility that is designated to
receive a 9-1-1 request for emergency assistance and perform
one or more of the following functions:
``(A) Process and analyze 9-1-1 requests for
emergency assistance and other gathered information.
``(B) Dispatch appropriate emergency response
providers.
``(C) Transfer or exchange 9-1-1 requests for
emergency assistance and other gathered information
with other emergency communications centers and
emergency response providers.
``(D) Analyze any communications received from
emergency response providers.
``(E) Support incident command functions.
``(2) Other eligible entity.--The term `other eligible
entity' means a nonprofit organization with expertise and
experience with respect to the health and wellness of public
safety telecommunicators, including State, local, and regional
9-1-1 authorities and State, regional, and national public
safety communications associations.
``(3) Peer-support behavioral health and wellness
program.--The term `peer-support behavioral health and wellness
program' means programs that use public safety
telecommunicators to serve as peer counselors or provide
training to public safety telecommunicators to serve as such
peer counselors.
``(4) Public safety telecommunicator.--The term `public
safety telecommunicator' means a public safety telecommunicator
as designated in detailed occupation 43-5031 in the Standard
Occupational Classification Manual of the Office of Management
and Budget (2018), or any successor designation.''.
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