[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 40 (Thursday, March 2, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S640-S641]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          FIGHTING POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER ACT OF 2023

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 645, which is at the desk.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 645) 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.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I further ask that the bill be considered read a third 
time.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read 
the third time.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I know of no further debate on the bill.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. If there is no further debate on the bill, 
the bill having been read the third time, the question is, Shall the 
bill pass?
  The bill (S. 645) was passed as follows:

                                 S. 645

       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 ``Fighting Post-Traumatic 
     Stress Disorder Act of 2023''.

     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.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or 
debate.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[[Page S641]]

  

                          ____________________