79–006 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 115–428 

LAW ENFORCEMENT MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS 

ACT OF 2017 

NOVEMBER 28, 2017.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. GOODLATTE, from the Committee on the Judiciary, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 2228] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 2228) to provide support for law enforcement agency efforts 

to protect the mental health and well-being of law enforcement officers, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill 

do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Purpose and Summary ............................................................................................ 1 

Background and Need for the Legislation ............................................................. 2 

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 2 

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 2 

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 2 

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 2 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures ...................................................... 3 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate .......................................................... 3 

Duplication of Federal Programs ............................................................................ 4 

Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings ..................................................................... 4 

Performance Goals and Objectives ......................................................................... 4 

Advisory on Earmarks ............................................................................................. 4 

Section-by-Section Analysis .................................................................................... 4 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ..................................... 5 

Purpose and Summary 

H.R. 2228, the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness 

Act of 2017, directs the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop resources 

2 

to equip local law enforcement agencies to address mental health 

challenges faced by officers. In conjunction with the Department of 

Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice must develop educational resources for mental health providers regarding 

the culture of law enforcement agencies and therapies for mental 

health issues common to law enforcement officers. In developing 

these resources, the Department of Justice should examine the effect of gun violence on the mental health of officers and what can 

be done to solve those aspects of gun violence. The bill also makes 

grants available to initiate peer mentoring pilot programs, develop 

training for mental health providers specific to law enforcement 

mental health needs, and support law enforcement officers by 

studying the effectiveness of crisis hotlines and annual mental 

health checks. 

Background and Need for the Legislation 

The job of a police officer is one of the most stressful occupations 

in the world. Research has shown time and again that police officer 

occupational stress is directly related to higher rates of heart disease, divorce, sick days taken, alcohol abuse, and major psychological illnesses such as acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress 

disorder, depression, and anxiety disorders. 

Currently, there are approximately 900,000 sworn officers in the 

United States, and the epidemic of stress disorders among police 

men and women has been so high that many departments have instituted mental health programs as preventative measures. These 

programs have had significant, successful results, such as a decrease in the number of police officer suicides (from 300 in 1998 to 

126 in 2012). In departments where mental health and wellness 

programs are absent, however, problems likely remain at a critical 

level. 

Hearings 

The Committee on the Judiciary held no hearings on H.R. 2228. 

Committee Consideration 

On October 12, 2017, the Committee met in open session and ordered the bill, H.R. 2228, favorably reported by voice vote, a 

quorum being present. 

Committee Votes 

In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that there were 

no recorded votes during the Committee’s consideration of H.R. 

2228. 

Committee Oversight Findings 

In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the findings 

and recommendations of the Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report. 

3 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures 

Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is inapplicable because this legislation does not provide new 

budgetary authority or increased tax expenditures. 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate 

In compliance with clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee sets forth, with respect to 

the bill, H.R. 2228, the following estimate and comparison prepared 

by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, November 15, 2017. 

Hon. BOB GOODLATTE, 

Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2228, the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark Grabowicz. 

Sincerely, 

KEITH HALL. 

Enclosure. 

cc: Honorable John Conyers Jr. 

Ranking Member 

H.R. 2228—Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness 

Act of 2017 

As ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary on 

October 12, 2017 

H.R. 2228 would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to submit two reports to the Congress on programs and practices to improve the mental health of law enforcement officers. The bill also 

would direct DOJ to educate mental health providers about issues 

facing law enforcement officers, review the effectiveness of crisis 

hotlines for officers, and research the efficacy of annual mental 

health checks for those officers. Based on the costs of similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing the bill’s provisions would 

cost about $1 million in fiscal year 2018, assuming the availability 

of appropriated funds. 

Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or revenues; 

therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2228 would not increase net 

direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 

10-year periods beginning in 2028. 

H.R. 2228 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 

4 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz. The 

estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant 

Director for Budget Analysis. 

Duplication of Federal Programs 

No provision of H.R. 2228 establishes or reauthorizes a program 

of the Federal government known to be duplicative of another Federal program, a program that was included in any report from the 

Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to section 

21 of Public Law 111–139, or a program related to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. 

Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings 

The Committee finds that H.R. 2228 contains no directed rule 

making within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. § 551. 

Performance Goals and Objectives 

The Committee states that pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, H.R. 2228 directs the 

Department of Justice to provide support for law enforcement agency efforts to protect the mental health and well-being of law enforcement officers. 

Advisory on Earmarks 

In accordance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, H.R. 2228 does not contain any congressional 

earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 

in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of Rule XXI. 

Section-by-Section Analysis 

The following discussion describes the bill as reported by the 

Committee. 

Section 1. Short title. This section cites the short title of the legislation as the ‘‘Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act 

of 2017.’’ 

Sec. 2. Support for law enforcement agencies. This section has 

three components: (1) it directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to 

report on Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs mental health practices and services that could be adopted by 

law enforcement agencies; (2) it requires DOJ’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to report on programs to address 

the psychological health and well-being of law enforcement officers; 

and (3) it amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act 

of 1968 to expand the allowable use of grant funds under the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program to include establishing peer mentoring mental health and wellness pilot programs within state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. 

Sec. 3. Support for mental health providers. This section requires 

DOJ to coordinate with the Department of Health and Human 

Services to develop educational resources for mental health providers regarding the culture of law enforcement agencies and 

therapies for mental health issues common to law enforcement officers. 

5 

Sec. 4. Support for officers. This section requires DOJ to: (1) review existing crisis hotlines, recommend improvements, and research annual mental health checks; (2) examine the mental health 

and wellness needs of federal officers; and (3) ensure that recommendations, resources, or programs under this bill protect the 

privacy of participating officers. 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported 

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, 

and existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 

roman): 

OMNIBUS CRIME CONTROL AND SAFE STREETS ACT OF 

1968 

* * * * * * * 

TITLE I—JUSTICE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT 

* * * * * * * 

PART Q—PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMMUNITY 

POLICING; ‘‘COPS ON THE BEAT’’ 

SEC. 1701. AUTHORITY TO MAKE PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMMUNITY POLICING GRANTS. 

(a) GRANT AUTHORIZATION.—The Attorney General shall carry 

out a single grant program under which the Attorney General 

makes grants to States, units of local government, Indian tribal 

governments, other public and private entities, and multi-jurisdictional or regional consortia for the purposes described in subsection 

(b). 

(b) USES OF GRANT AMOUNTS.—The purposes for which grants 

made under subsection (a) may be made are— 

(1) to rehire law enforcement officers who have been laid off 

as a result of State, tribal, or local budget reductions for deployment in community-oriented policing; 

(2) to hire and train new, additional career law enforcement 

officers for deployment in community-oriented policing across 

the Nation, including by prioritizing the hiring and training of 

veterans (as defined in section 101 of title 38, United States 

Code); 

(3) to procure equipment, technology, or support systems, or 

pay overtime, to increase the number of officers deployed in 

community-oriented policing; 

(4) to award grants to pay for offices hired to perform intelligence, anti-terror, or homeland security duties; 

(5) to increase the number of law enforcement officers involved in activities that are focused on interaction with members of the community on proactive crime control and prevention by redeploying officers to such activities; 

6 

(6) to provide specialized training to law enforcement officers 

to enhance their conflict resolution, mediation, problem solving, service, and other skills needed to work in partnership 

with members of the community; 

(7) to increase police participation in multidisciplinary early 

intervention teams; 

(8) to develop new technologies, including interoperable communications technologies, modernized criminal record technology, and forensic technology, to assist State, tribal, and 

local law enforcement agencies in reorienting the emphasis of 

their activities from reacting to crime to preventing crime and 

to train law enforcement officers to use such technologies; 

(9) to develop and implement innovative programs to permit 

members of the community to assist State, tribal, and local law 

enforcement agencies in the prevention of crime in the community, such as a citizens’ police academy, including programs designed to increase the level of access to the criminal justice 

system enjoyed by victims, witnesses, and ordinary citizens by 

establishing decentralized satellite offices (including video facilities) of principal criminal courts buildings; 

(10) to establish innovative programs to reduce, and keep to 

a minimum, the amount of time that law enforcement officers 

must be away from the community while awaiting court appearances; 

(11) to establish and implement innovative programs to increase and enhance proactive crime control and prevention programs involving law enforcement officers and young persons in 

the community; 

(12) to establish school-based partnerships between local law 

enforcement agencies and local school systems by using school 

resource officers who operate in and around elementary and 

secondary schools to combat school-related crime and disorder 

problems, gangs, and drug activities; 

(13) to develop and establish new administrative and managerial systems to facilitate the adoption of community-oriented 

policing as an organization-wide philosophy; 

(14) to assist a State or Indian tribe in enforcing a law 

throughout the State or tribal community that requires that a 

convicted sex offender register his or her address with a State, 

tribal, or local law enforcement agency and be subject to criminal prosecution for failure to comply; 

(15) to establish, implement, and coordinate crime prevention and control programs (involving law enforcement officers 

working with community members) with other Federal programs that serve the community and community members to 

better address the comprehensive needs of the community and 

its members; 

(16) to support the purchase by a law enforcement agency of 

no more than 1 service weapon per officer, upon hiring for deployment in community-oriented policing or, if necessary, upon 

existing officers’ initial redeployment to community-oriented 

policing; 

(17) to participate in nationally recognized active shooter 

training programs that offer scenario-based, integrated reVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:02 Nov 30, 2017 Jkt 079006 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR428.XXX HR428
7 

sponse courses designed to counter active shooter threats or 

acts of terrorism against individuals or facilities; 

(18) to provide specialized training to law enforcement officers to— 

(A) recognize individuals who have a mental illness; and 

(B) properly interact with individuals who have a mental 

illness, including strategies for verbal de-escalation of crises; 

(19) to establish collaborative programs that enhance the 

ability of law enforcement agencies to address the mental 

health, behavioral, and substance abuse problems of individuals encountered by law enforcement officers in the line of 

duty; 

(20) to provide specialized training to corrections officers to 

recognize individuals who have a mental illness; 

(21) to enhance the ability of corrections officers to address 

the mental health of individuals under the care and custody of 

jails and prisons, including specialized training and strategies 

for verbal de-escalation of crisesø; and¿; 

(22) to permit tribal governments receiving direct law enforcement services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to access 

the program under this section for use in accordance with 

paragraphs (1) through (21)ø.¿; and 

(23) to establish peer mentoring mental health and wellness 

pilot programs within State, tribal, and local law enforcement 

agencies. 

(c) PREFERENTIAL CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATIONS FOR CERTAIN

GRANTS.—In awarding grants under this part, the Attorney General may give preferential consideration, where feasible, to an application— 

(1) for hiring and rehiring additional career law enforcement 

officers that involves a non-Federal contribution exceeding the 

25 percent minimum under subsection (g); 

(2) from an applicant in a State that has in effect a law 

that— 

(A) treats a minor who has engaged in, or has attempted 

to engage in, a commercial sex act as a victim of a severe 

form of trafficking in persons; 

(B) discourages or prohibits the charging or prosecution 

of an individual described in subparagraph (A) for a prostitution or sex trafficking offense, based on the conduct described in subparagraph (A); and 

(C) encourages the diversion of an individual described 

in subparagraph (A) to appropriate service providers, including child welfare services, victim treatment programs, 

child advocacy centers, rape crisis centers, or other social 

services; or 

(3) from an applicant in a State that has in effect a law— 

(A) that— 

(i) provides a process by which an individual who is 

a human trafficking survivor can move to vacate any 

arrest or conviction records for a non-violent offense 

committed as a direct result of human trafficking, including prostitution or lewdness; 

8 

(ii) establishes a rebuttable presumption that any 

arrest or conviction of an individual for an offense associated with human trafficking is a result of being 

trafficked, if the individual— 

(I) is a person granted nonimmigrant status 

pursuant to section 101(a)(15)(T)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 

1101(a)(15)(T)(i)); 

(II) is the subject of a certification by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 107(b)(1)(E) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7105(b)(1)(E)); or 

(III) has other similar documentation of trafficking, which has been issued by a Federal, State, 

or local agency; and 

(iii) protects the identity of individuals who are 

human trafficking survivors in public and court 

records; and 

(B) that does not require an individual who is a human 

trafficking survivor to provide official documentation as described in subclause (I), (II), or (III) of subparagraph (A)(ii) 

in order to receive protection under the law. 

(d) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General may provide technical assistance to States, units of local government, Indian 

tribal governments, and to other public and private entities, in 

furtherance of the purposes of the Public Safety Partnership 

and Community Policing Act of 1994. 

(2) MODEL.—The technical assistance provided by the Attorney General may include the development of a flexible model 

that will define for State and local governments, and other 

public and private entities, definitions and strategies associated with community or problem-oriented policing and methodologies for its implementation. 

(3) TRAINING CENTERS AND FACILITIES.—The technical assistance provided by the Attorney General may include the establishment and operation of training centers or facilities, either 

directly or by contracting or cooperative arrangements. The 

functions of the centers or facilities established under this 

paragraph may include instruction and seminars for police executives, managers, trainers, supervisors, and such others as 

the Attorney General considers to be appropriate concerning 

community or problem-oriented policing and improvements in 

police-community interaction and cooperation that further the 

purposes of the Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Act of 1994. 

(e) UTILIZATION OF COMPONENTS.—The Attorney General may 

utilize any component or components of the Department of Justice 

in carrying out this part. 

(f) MINIMUM AMOUNT.—Unless all applications submitted by any 

State and grantee within the State pursuant to subsection (a) have 

been funded, each qualifying State, together with grantees within 

the State, shall receive in each fiscal year pursuant to subsection 

(a) not less than 0.5 percent of the total amount appropriated in 

the fiscal year for grants pursuant to that subsection. In this subVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:02 Nov 30, 2017 Jkt 079006 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR428.XXX HR428
9 

section, ‘‘qualifying State’’ means any State which has submitted 

an application for a grant, or in which an eligible entity has submitted an application for a grant, which meets the requirements 

prescribed by the Attorney General and the conditions set out in 

this part. 

(g) MATCHING FUNDS.—The portion of the costs of a program, 

project, or activity provided by a grant under subsection (a) may 

not exceed 75 percent, unless the Attorney General waives, wholly 

or in part, the requirement under this subsection of a non-Federal 

contribution to the costs of a program, project, or activity. In relation to a grant for a period exceeding 1 year for hiring or rehiring 

career law enforcement officers, the Federal share shall decrease 

from year to year for up to 5 years, looking toward the continuation 

of the increased hiring level using State or local sources of funding 

following the conclusion of Federal support, as provided in an approved plan pursuant to section 1702(c)(8). 

(h) ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.—The funds available under this part 

shall be allocated as provided in section 1001(a)(11)(B). 

(i) TERMINATION OF GRANTS FOR HIRING OFFICERS.—Except as 

provided in subsection (j), the authority under subsection (a) of this 

section to make grants for the hiring and rehiring of additional career law enforcement officers shall lapse at the conclusion of 6 

years from the date of enactment of this part. Prior to the expiration of this grant authority, the Attorney General shall submit a 

report to Congress concerning the experience with and effects of 

such grants. The report may include any recommendations the Attorney General may have for amendments to this part and related 

provisions of law in light of the termination of the authority to 

make grants for the hiring and rehiring of additional career law 

enforcement officers. 

(j) GRANTS TO INDIAN TRIBES.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding subsection (i) and section 

1703, and in acknowledgment of the Federal nexus and distinct 

Federal responsibility to address and prevent crime in Indian 

country, the Attorney General shall provide grants under this 

section to Indian tribal governments, for fiscal year 2011 and 

any fiscal year thereafter, for such period as the Attorney General determines to be appropriate to assist the Indian tribal 

governments in carrying out the purposes described in subsection (b). 

(2) PRIORITY OF FUNDING.—In providing grants to Indian 

tribal governments under this subsection, the Attorney General shall take into consideration reservation crime rates and 

tribal law enforcement staffing needs of each Indian tribal government. 

(3) FEDERAL SHARE.—Because of the Federal nature and responsibility for providing public safety on Indian land, the Federal share of the cost of any activity carried out using a grant 

under this subsection— 

(A) shall be 100 percent; and 

(B) may be used to cover indirect costs. 

(4) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 

to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $40,000,000 for 

each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015. 

10 

(k) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 

of this subsection, the Attorney General shall submit to Congress 

a report describing the extent and effectiveness of the Community 

Oriented Policing (COPS) initiative as applied in Indian country, 

including particular references to— 

(1) the problem of intermittent funding; 

(2) the integration of COPS personnel with existing law enforcement authorities; and 

(3) an explanation of how the practice of community policing 

and the broken windows theory can most effectively be applied 

in remote tribal locations. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ