119-hr2937

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2937 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2937

 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 17, 2025

 Ms. Kelly of Illinois (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mrs. Torres of 
 California, Mr. Neguse, and Ms. Scholten) 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) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under 
this section shall use funds received through the grant--
 ``

    (1) to 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) to establish or enhance peer-support behavioral 
 health and wellness programs;
 ``

    (3) to acquire materials or instructors to provide such 
 training; and
 ``

    (4) to disseminate such information and materials as are 
 necessary to carry out a evidence-based behavioral health and 
 wellness 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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