911 Diversion to Unarmed Personnel Act of 2020

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to award grants to States, territories, political subdivisions of States and territories, Tribal governments, and consortia of Tribal governments to establish an unarmed 911 response program, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the 911 Diversion to Unarmed Personnel Act of 2020 2. Grants for unarmed 911 response programs Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 552 ( 42 U.S.C. 290ee–7 553. Grants for unarmed 911 response programs (a) In general The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, may award grants to States, territories, political subdivisions of States and territories, Tribal governments, and consortia of Tribal governments to establish an unarmed 911 response program under which nonviolent 911 calls are referred to unarmed professional service providers for response, instead of to a law enforcement agency. (b) Program requirements An unarmed 911 response program funded under this section shall— (1) dispatch unarmed professional service providers in groups of two or more in a timely manner; (2) be capable of providing screening, assessment, de-escalation, trauma-informed services, referrals to treatment providers, and transportation to immediately necessary treatment; (3) when necessary, coordinate with health or social services; (4) not be subject to oversight of State or local law enforcement agencies; and (5) clearly outline the scope of calls that must or may be referred to the unarmed 911 response program. (c) Uses of funds A grant under this section may be used for— (1) hiring unarmed professional service providers; (2) training unarmed professional service providers to respond to 911 calls by identifying, understanding, and responding to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders, including by means of— (A) de-escalation; (B) crisis intervention; and (C) connecting individuals to local social service providers, health care providers, community-based organizations, and the full range of other available providers and resources; (3) updating 911 response systems to enable triage between nonviolent 911 calls and those that require a response from law enforcement; (4) training 911 dispatchers on call diversion; and (5) building the capacity— (A) to coordinate with local social service providers, health care providers, and community-based organizations; and (B) to provide multilingual services. (d) Application An applicant seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require, including the applicant’s plan to train 911 dispatchers to determine when a call should be diverted to the unarmed 911 response program. (e) Reports to Secretary A recipient of a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary, on a biannual basis, a report on the following: (1) The number of calls placed to 911 that were diverted to the grantee’s unarmed 911 response program. (2) Demographic information on the individuals served by the grantee’s unarmed 911 response program, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and location. (3) The effects of the grantee’s unarmed 911 response program on emergency room visits, hospitalizations, use of ambulances, and involvement of law enforcement in mental health or substance use disorder crises. (4) An assessment of the types of events and crises to which the grantee’s unarmed 911 response program responded and the services provided, including— (A) the number of individuals to whom services were provided who were involuntarily committed for treatment; (B) the number of individuals successfully transferred to an alternative destination; (C) the time between notification by a 911 dispatcher and arrival at the scene by a provider; and (D) the time spent by providers at scene. (5) An assessment of the cost-effectiveness and savings associated with the grantee’s unarmed 911 response program. (f) Reports to Congress The Secretary shall submit to the Congress, on a biannual basis, a report on the program under this section, including a summary of the reports submitted by grantees pursuant to subsection (e). (g) Definitions In this section: (1) The term alternative destination (A) means any service- or care-providing site other than a hospital emergency department or jail; and (B) includes a clinic, primary care office, crisis center, and freestanding psychiatric destination. (2) The term nonviolent 911 call (A) relates to mental health, homelessness, addiction crises, social services, truancy, or public intoxication; and (B) does not involve— (i) a weapon; (ii) obvious violent behavior; or (iii) a subject who has voiced a desire or intention to commit violence against themselves or others and a reasonable belief of the dispatcher that the threat is imminent. (3) The term unarmed professional service provider (A) is trained to deal with mental health or substance abuse crises; and (B) does not carry a firearm. .

Summary: 911 Diversion to Unarmed Personnel Act of 2020 This bill authorizes grants to dispatch unarmed, specialized health care or social service providers to respond to nonviolent 9–1–1 calls instead of law enforcement officers. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration may award grants to states and other jurisdictions for this purpose.