To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Public Safety Mental Health Fellowship Program, and for other purposes.

To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Public Safety Mental Health Fellowship Program, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. Short title.

SEC. 2. Public safety mental health fellowships.

(a) Establishment of program.—Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290dd) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“SEC. 554. Public safety mental health fellowships.

“(a) Establishment of program.—The Secretary shall establish a pilot program, to be known as the Public Safety Mental Health Fellowship Program (in this section referred to as the ‘program’), under which the Secretary shall award fellowships, which may include stipends, for the purposes of—

“(1) increasing the knowledge of mental health and substance use disorders treatment practitioners on issues related to prevention, treatment, and recovery support for individuals who are emergency response providers and who have a mental health or substance use disorder;

“(2) improving the quality of mental health and substance use disorders prevention and treatment services delivered to emergency response providers; and

“(3) increasing the number of culturally competent mental health and substance use disorders treatment professionals who teach, administer services, conduct research, and provide direct mental health or substance use disorders services to emergency response providers.

“(b) Training covered.—The fellowships awarded under subsection (a) shall be for postbaccalaureate training (including for master’s and doctoral degrees) for mental health and substance use disorders treatment professionals, including in the fields of psychiatry, nursing, social work, psychology, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, and substance use disorder and addiction counseling.

“(c) Definition.—In this section:

“(1) CULTURALLY COMPETENT MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS TREATMENT PROFESSIONAL.—The term ‘culturally competent mental health and substance use disorders treatment professional’ means an individual—

“(A) with familiarity with, and understanding of, the duties and unique stressors of emergency response providers, which may include experience working as a emergency response provider;

“(B) who has completed a trauma-informed and culturally competent training curriculum, as the Secretary determines appropriate; and

“(C) who has distinct knowledge of, and is trained on the unique aspects of, confidentiality and testimonial privilege.

“(2) EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROVIDER.—The term ‘emergency response provider’ includes the personnel of Federal, State, and local governmental and nongovernmental entities who provide emergency public safety, fire, law enforcement, emergency response, or emergency medical (including hospital emergency) services, and related personnel.

“(d) Authorization of appropriations.—To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2028 through 2033.”.

(b) Deadline.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish the Public Safety Mental Health Fellowship Program under section 554(a) of the Public Health Service Act (as added by subsection (a) of this section) (in this section referred to as the “program”).

(c) Reports to Congress.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—

(A) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date of establishment of the program, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that—

(i) analyzes the efficiency of the program; and

(ii) assesses the impact of the program on patient outcomes and system costs.

(B) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 5 years after the date of establishment of the program, the Secretary shall submit to Congress an updated version of the report to be submitted under subparagraph (A).

(2) ELEMENTS.—The reports to be submitted under paragraph (1) shall each contain a description of—

(A) the details of the program;

(B) the implementation of the program;

(C) the medical issues being addressed by fellowships awarded under the program;

(D) the strategies developed under the program in providing mental health and substance use disorders prevention and treatment services;

(E) any successes of and problems associated with the program;

(F) the impact of fellowships awarded under the program on the health (including behavioral health) of emergency response providers; and

(G) recommendations regarding reauthorizing, reforming, or terminating the program.