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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 645 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 645

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 
    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.

    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.

            Passed the Senate March 2, 2023.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
118th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 645

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

    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.
```