119-s666

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 666 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 666

 To increase access to mental health, substance use, and counseling 
 services for first responders, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 February 20, 2025

 Mrs. Gillibrand (for herself and Mr. Hawley) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
 Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To increase access to mental health, substance use, and counseling 
 services for first responders, 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.

 This Act may be cited as the ``First Responders Wellness Act''.

SEC. 2. FIRST RESPONDERS MENTAL HEALTH HOTLINE.

 Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``

SEC. 399V-8. FIRST RESPONDERS MENTAL HEALTH HOTLINE.

 ``

    (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of the First Responders Wellness Act, the Secretary, acting 
through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, 
shall maintain, directly or by contract or grant, a national first 
responders emergency hotline to provide peer and emotional support, 
information, brief intervention, and mental and behavioral health and 
substance use disorder resources and referrals to first responders and 
to their families or household members.
 ``

    (b) Requirements for Hotline.--The hotline established under 
subsection

    (a) shall--
 ``

    (1) operate as a separate, widely recognizable number 
 with bidirectional transfer options with the 988 Suicide and 
 Crisis Lifeline established pursuant to 

section 520E-3;
 ``

    (2) provide toll-free, real-time, live assistance 24/7;
 ``

    (3) provide voice and text support;
 ``

    (4) be sufficiently staffed by, at a minimum, culturally 
 competent first responder peer specialists or first responder 
 mental health services providers who have distinct knowledge 
 of, and are trained on--
 ``
        (A) the essential functions of first responders 
 and public safety organizations;
 ``
        (B) the working conditions unique to first 
 responders;
 ``
            (C) common and novel stressors inherent in public 
 safety and emergency response work;
 ``
            (D) normal and abnormal adaptation to 
 occupational stress and trauma; and
 ``
        (E) the unique aspects of confidentiality and 
 testimonial privilege; and
 ``

    (5) provide peer support, mental and behavioral health 
 and substance use disorder assistance, and referral services to 
 meet the needs of first responders and family members or 
 household members at risk of experiencing mental or behavioral 
 health or substance use disorders.
 ``
            (c) Additional Requirements.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--In maintaining the hotline under 
 subsection

    (a) , the Secretary shall--
 ``
        (A) consult with the National Domestic Violence 
 Hotline, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and the 
 Veterans Crisis Line to ensure that first responders 
 are connected in real-time to the appropriate 
 specialized hotline service, when applicable;
 ``
        (B) conduct a public awareness campaign for the 
 hotline under subsection

    (a) ;
 ``
            (C) consult with Federal departments and 
 agencies, including the Substance Abuse and Mental 
 Health Services Administration and the Department of 
 Justice, to increase awareness regarding the hotline 
 under subsection

    (a) ; and
 ``
            (D) consult with organizations that operate 
 existing crisis or peer support hotlines for first 
 responders with respect to best practices for operating 
 such hotlines.
 ``

    (2) Existing hotlines.--The Secretary or an entity 
 receiving a grant or contract under subsection

    (a) , as 
 applicable, shall form partnerships between the existing 
 national first responders mental health hotline and other first 
 responder helplines and websites.
 ``

    (3) Coordination.--The Secretary shall ensure that calls 
 from public safety personnel received through the 988 Suicide 
 and Crisis Lifeline are appropriately referred to the hotline 
 under subsection

    (a) .
 ``

    (4) Training curriculum.--Not later than 2 years after 
 the date of enactment of the First Responders Wellness Act, the 
 Secretary shall develop, in coordination with mental health 
 providers and first responder associations or personnel, 
 trauma-informed and culturally competent training, guidance, 
 and standards for 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline network 
 center personnel on the unique concerns, resources, linkages, 
 and stressors of first responders.
 ``
            (d) Annual Report.--The Secretary shall submit an annual report 
to Congress on the hotline under subsection

    (a) and implementation of 
this section, including--
 ``

    (1) an evaluation of the effectiveness of activities 
 conducted or supported under subsection

    (a) ;
 ``

    (2) an evaluation of staffing levels necessary to 
 maintain adequate services;
 ``

    (3) a directory of entities or organizations to which 
 staff maintaining the hotline funded under this section may 
 make referrals; and
 ``

    (4) such additional information as the Secretary 
 determines appropriate.
 ``

    (e) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) Culturally competent first responder peer 
 specialist.--The term `culturally competent first responder 
 peer specialist' means an individual--
 ``
        (A) with familiarity with, and understanding of, 
 the duties and unique stressors of first responders, 
 which may include experience working as a first 
 responder; and
 ``
        (B) who completed a trauma-informed and 
 culturally competent training curriculum developed 
 pursuant to subsection
            (c) (4) , or another trauma-
 informed and culturally competent training curriculum, 
 as the Secretary determines appropriate.
 ``

    (2) First responder.--The term `first responder'--
 ``
        (A) means--
 ``
            (i) a law enforcement officer, 
 firefighter, or member of a rescue squad or 
 ambulance crew (as such terms are defined in 
 

section 1204 of title I of the Omnibus Crime 
 Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968); or
 ``
            (ii) a public safety telecommunicator, 
 including 9-1-1 operators and dispatchers; and
 ``
        (B) includes a retired first responder.
 ``

    (3) First responder mental health services provider.--The 
 term `first responder mental health services provider' includes 
 a State-licensed or State-certified counselor, trauma 
 counselor, psychologist or other State licensed or certified 
 mental health professional who--
 ``
        (A) is qualified under State law to provide 
 mental or behavioral health services; and
 ``
        (B) has a familiarity with and understanding of 
 the duties and unique stressors of first responders.
 ``

    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2031.''.

SEC. 3. CRISIS COUNSELING ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING.

 

Section 416

    (a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5183

    (a) ) is amended by inserting 
``and to qualified emergency response providers responding to major 
disasters'' after ``victims of major disasters''.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON ON-SITE SERVICES DURING A NATIONAL DISASTER.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall 
issue a report on best practices and recommendations to establish a new 
mobile health care delivery site to provide integrated, short-term 
crisis services to qualified emergency response providers of a major 
disaster. Such services shall--

    (1) be culturally and linguistically appropriate;

    (2) be trauma-informed; and

    (3) incorporate disaster behavioral interventions.

    (b) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Major disaster.--The term ``major disaster'' has the 
 meaning given such term in 

section 102 of the Robert T. 
 Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
 U.S.C. 5122).

    (2) Major disaster area.--The term ``major disaster area'' 
 has the meaning given such term in 

section 625.2 of title 20, 
 Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations).

    (3) Qualified emergency response providers.--The term 
 ``qualified emergency response providers'' means--
        (A) emergency response providers (as defined in 
 

section 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
 U.S.C. 101)); and
        (B) public safety telecommunicators.
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