[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 124 (Wednesday, July 19, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S3409]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 955. Mr. GRASSLEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2024 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of title X, add the following:
Subtitle H--Fighting Post-traumatic Stress Disorder; Controlled
Substance Act Amendments
SEC. 1091. FIGHTING POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER.
(a) 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.
(b) Programming for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.--
(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) Public safety officer.--The term ``public safety
officer''--
(i) has the meaning given the term in section 1204 of title
I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968
(34 U.S.C. 10284); and
(ii) includes Tribal public safety officers.
(B) Public safety telecommunicator.--The term ``public
safety telecommunicator'' means an individual who--
(i) 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;
(ii) 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
(iii) coordinates and provides information to law
enforcement and emergency response personnel.
(2) 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--
(A) 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;
(B) 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 subparagraph (A) under the proposed program;
(C) how each proposed program described in subparagraph (A)
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;
(D) a draft of legislative language necessary to authorize
each proposed program described in subparagraph (A); and
(E) an estimate of the amount of annual appropriations
necessary for administering each proposed program described
in subparagraph (A).
(3) Development.--In developing the report required under
paragraph (2), the Attorney General shall consult relevant
stakeholders, including--
(A) Federal, State, Tribal, territorial, and local agencies
employing public safety officers and public safety
telecommunicators; and
(B) 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.
SEC. 1092. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT.
Section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C.
802) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (58) as paragraph (59);
(2) by redesignating the second paragraph designated as
paragraph (57) (relating to the definition of ``serious drug
felony'') as paragraph (58); and
(3) by moving paragraphs (57), (58) (as so redesignated),
and (59) (as so redesignated) 2 ems to the left.
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