I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2480 

To expand and improve access to trauma-informed mental health interventions 

for newly arriving immigrants at the border, to alleviate the stress 

of and provide education for border agents, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 13, 2021 

Mrs. NAPOLITANO (for herself, Mr. VARGAS, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. SIRES, Ms. 

ESCOBAR, Mr. CA ́RDENAS, and Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and 

in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be 

subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 

of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To expand and improve access to trauma-informed mental 

health interventions for newly arriving immigrants at 

the border, to alleviate the stress of and provide education for border agents, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Immigrants’ Mental 

5 Health Act of 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. TRAINING FOR CERTAIN CBP PERSONNEL IN MEN2 TAL HEALTH ISSUES. 

3 (a) TRAINING TO IDENTIFY RISK FACTORS AND

4 WARNING SIGNS IN IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commissioner of U.S. 

6 Customs and Border Protection, in consultation with 

7 the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Sub8 stance Use, the Administrator of the Health Re9 sources and Services Administration, and nongovern10 mental experts in the delivery of health care in hu11 manitarian crises and in the delivery of health care 

12 to children, shall develop and implement a training 

13 curriculum for U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

14 agents and officers assigned to U.S. Customs and 

15 Border Protection facilities to enable such agents 

16 and officers to identify the risk factors and warning 

17 signs in immigrants and refugees of mental health 

18 issues relating to trauma. 

19 (2) REQUIREMENTS.—The training curriculum 

20 described in paragraph (1) shall— 

21 (A) apply to all U.S. Customs and Border 

22 Protection agents and officers working at U.S. 

23 Customs and Border Protection facilities; 

24 (B) provide for crisis intervention using a 

25 trauma-informed approach; and 


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1 (C) provide for mental health screenings 

2 for immigrants and refugees arriving at the 

3 border in their preferred language or with ap4 propriate language assistance. 

5 (b) TRAINING TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH AND

6 WELLNESS OF CBP AGENTS AND OFFICERS.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commissioner of U.S. 

8 Customs and Border Protection, in consultation with 

9 the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Sub10 stance Use, the Administrator of the Health Re11 sources and Services Administration, and nongovern12 mental experts in the delivery of mental health care, 

13 shall develop and implement a training curriculum 

14 for U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and 

15 officers assigned to U.S. Customs and Border Pro16 tection facilities to address the mental health and 

17 wellness of individuals working at such facilities. 

18 (2) REQUIREMENT.—The training curriculum 

19 described in paragraph (1) shall be designed to help 

20 U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and of21 ficers working at U.S. Customs and Border Protec22 tion facilities to— 

23 (A) better manage their own stress and the 

24 stress of their coworkers; and 


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1 (B) be more aware of the psychological 

2 pressures experienced during their jobs. 

3 (c) ANNUAL REVIEW OF TRAINING.—Beginning with 

4 respect to fiscal year 2023, the Assistant Secretary for 

5 Mental Health and Substance Use shall— 

6 (1) conduct an annual review of the training 

7 implemented pursuant to subsections (a) and (b); 

8 and 

9 (2) submit the results of each such review, in10 cluding any recommendations for improvement of 

11 such training, to— 

12 (A) the Commissioner of U.S. Customs 

13 and Border Protection; and 

14 (B) the Committees on Appropriations, 

15 Energy and Commerce, Homeland Security, 

16 and the Judiciary of the House of Representa17 tives and the Committees on Appropriations, 

18 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and 

19 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

20 of the Senate. 

21 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

22 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated— 

23 (1) for fiscal year 2022, $50,000 to develop the 

24 training under subsections (a) and (b); and 


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1 (2) for each of fiscal years 2023 through 

2 2027— 

3 (A) $20,000 to implement such training 

4 pursuant to subsections (a) and (b); and 

5 (B) such sums as may be necessary to re6 view and make recommendations for such train7 ing pursuant to subsection (c). 

8 SEC. 3. STAFFING BORDER FACILITIES AND DETENTION 

9 CENTERS. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—To adequately evaluate the men11 tal health needs of immigrants, refugees, border patrol 

12 agents, and staff, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 

13 Border Protection shall assign at least one qualified men14 tal or behavioral health expert to each U.S. Customs and 

15 Border Protection facility. 

16 (b) QUALIFICATIONS.—To be qualified for purposes 

17 of subsection (a), a mental or behavioral health expert 

18 shall be— 

19 (1) bilingual; 

20 (2) well-versed in culturally appropriate and 

21 trauma-informed interventions; and 

22 (3) have particular expertise in child or adoles23 cent mental health or family mental health. 


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1 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

2 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 

3 $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. 

4 SEC. 4. NO SHARING OF DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

5 HUMAN SERVICES MENTAL HEALTH INFOR6 MATION FOR ASYLUM DETERMINATIONS, IM7 MIGRATION HEARINGS, OR DEPORTATION 

8 PROCEEDINGS. 

9 The officers, employees, and agents of the Depart10 ment of Health and Human Services, including the Office 

11 of Refugee Resettlement, may not share with the Depart12 ment of Homeland Security, and the officers, employees, 

13 and agents of the Department of Homeland Security may 

14 not request or receive from the Department of Health and 

15 Human Services, for the purposes of an asylum deter16 mination, immigration hearing, or deportation proceeding, 

17 any information or record that— 

18 (1) concerns the mental health of an alien; and 

19 (2) was obtained or produced by a mental or 

20 behavioral health professional while the alien was in 

21 a shelter or otherwise in the custody of the Federal 

22 Government. 

23 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

24 In this Act: 


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1 (1) The term ‘‘U.S. Customs and Border Pro2 tection facility’’ means any of the following facilities 

3 that typically detain migrants on behalf of U.S. Cus4 toms and Border Protection: 

5 (A) U.S. Border Patrol stations. 

6 (B) Ports of entry. 

7 (C) Checkpoints. 

8 (D) Forward operating bases. 

9 (E) Secondary inspection areas. 

10 (F) Short-term custody facilities. 

11 (2) The term ‘‘forward operating base’’ means 

12 a permanent facility established by U.S. Customs 

13 and Border Protection in forward or remote loca14 tions, and designated as such by U.S. Customs and 

15 Border Protection. 

Æ 


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