I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6571 
To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to improve the 
detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among public 
safety officers, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 26, 2018 
Mr. BERA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology, 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 require the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of 
mental health issues among public safety officers, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Helping Emergency 
Responders Overcome Act of 2018’’. 
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SEC. 2. DATA SYSTEM TO CAPTURE NATIONAL PUBLIC 
SAFETY OFFICER SUICIDE INCIDENCE. 
The Public Health Service Act is amended by insert-
ing after section 317T of such Act (42 U.S.C. 247b–22) 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 317U. DATA SYSTEM TO CAPTURE NATIONAL PUBLIC 
SAFETY OFFICER SUICIDE INCIDENCE. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting primarily 
through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention and in coordination with other agencies 
as the Secretary determines appropriate, shall— 
‘‘(1) develop and maintain a data system, to be 
known as the Public Safety Officer Suicide Report-
ing System, for the purposes of— 
‘‘(A) collecting data on the suicide inci-
dence among public safety officers; and 
‘‘(B) facilitating the study of successful 
interventions to reduce suicide among public 
safety officers; and 
‘‘(2) integrate such system into the National 
Violent Death Reporting System, so long as the Sec-
retary determines such integration to be consistent 
with the purposes described in paragraph (1). 
‘‘(b) DATA COLLECTION.—In collecting data for the 
Public Safety Officer Suicide Reporting System, the Sec-
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retary shall, at a minimum, collect the following informa-
tion: 
‘‘(1) The total number of suicides in the United 
States among all public safety officers in a given cal-
endar year. 
‘‘(2) Suicide rates for public safety officers in 
a given calendar year, disaggregated by— 
‘‘(A) age and gender of the public safety 
officer; 
‘‘(B) State; 
‘‘(C) occupation; 
‘‘(D) status of the public safety officer as 
volunteer, paid-on-call, or career; and 
‘‘(E) status of the public safety officer as 
active or retired. 
‘‘(c) CONSULTATION DURING DEVELOPMENT.—In 
developing the Public Safety Officer Suicide Reporting 
System, the Secretary shall consult with non-Federal ex-
perts to determine the best means to collect data regard-
ing suicide incidence in a safe, sensitive, anonymous, and 
effective manner. Such non-Federal experts shall include 
the following: 
‘‘(1) Public health experts with experience in 
developing and maintaining suicide registries. 
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‘‘(2) Organizations that track suicide among 
public safety officers. 
‘‘(3) Mental health experts with experience in 
studying suicide and other profession-related trau-
matic stress. 
‘‘(4) Clinicians with experience in diagnosing 
and treating mental health issues. 
‘‘(5) Active and retired volunteer, paid-on-call, 
and career public safety officers. 
‘‘(6) Relevant national police, and fire and 
emergency response, organizations. 
‘‘(d) DATA PRIVACY AND SECURITY.—In developing 
and maintaining the Public Safety Officer Suicide Report-
ing System, the Secretary shall ensure that all applicable 
Federal and State privacy and security protections are fol-
lowed to ensure that— 
‘‘(1) the confidentiality and anonymity of sui-
cide victims and their families are protected, includ-
ing so as to ensure that data cannot be used to deny 
benefits; and 
‘‘(2) data is sufficiently secure to prevent unau-
thorized access. 
‘‘(e) REPORTING.— 
‘‘(1) ANNUAL
REPORT.—Not later than one 
year after the date of enactment of the Helping 
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Emergency Responders Overcome Act of 2018, and 
annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit a re-
port to the Congress on the suicide incidence among 
public safety officers. Each such report shall— 
‘‘(A) 
include 
such 
suicide 
incidence 
disaggregated by age, gender, and State of em-
ployment; 
‘‘(B) identify risk factors for suicide 
among public safety officers; 
‘‘(C) disaggregate rates of suicide by— 
‘‘(i) occupation; 
‘‘(ii) status as volunteer, paid-on-call, 
or career; and 
‘‘(iii) status as active or retired; 
‘‘(D) include recommendations for further 
study regarding the suicide incidence among 
public safety officers; 
‘‘(E) identify options for interventions to 
reduce suicide among public safety officers; and 
‘‘(F) ensure the confidentiality and ano-
nymity of suicide victims and their families, as 
described in subsection (d)(1). 
‘‘(2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—Upon the submis-
sion of each report to the Congress under paragraph 
(1), the Secretary shall make the full report publicly 
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available on the website of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention. 
‘‘(f) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘public 
safety officer’ means— 
‘‘(1) a public safety officer as defined in section 
1204 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968; or 
‘‘(2) a public safety telecommunicator as de-
scribed in detailed occupation 43–5031 in the Stand-
ard Occupational Classification Manual of the Office 
of Management and Budget (2018).’’. 
SEC. 
3. 
PEER-SUPPORT 
BEHAVIORAL 
HEALTH 
AND 
WELLNESS PROGRAMS WITHIN LOCAL FIRE 
DEPARTMENTS. 
Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 243 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 320B. PEER-SUPPORT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND 
WELLNESS PROGRAMS WITHIN LOCAL FIRE 
DEPARTMENTS. 
‘‘(a) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 
grants to eligible entities for the purpose of establishing 
or enhancing peer-support behavioral health and wellness 
programs within local fire departments. 
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‘‘(b) PROGRAM DESCRIPTION.—A peer-support be-
havioral health and wellness program funded under this 
section shall— 
‘‘(1) use fire fighters to serve as peer coun-
selors— 
‘‘(A) to assist other fire fighters with 
issues related to behavioral health, including 
posttraumatic stress, substance abuse, and co- 
related disorders; and 
‘‘(B) to conduct outreach regarding such 
assistance to fire fighters and their families; 
‘‘(2) provide training to fire fighters to serve as 
such peer counselors; 
‘‘(3) purchase materials to be used exclusively 
to provide such training; and 
‘‘(4) disseminate such information and mate-
rials as are necessary to conduct the program. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘eligible 
entity’ means a nonprofit fire service organization with ex-
pertise and experience with respect to fire fighter health 
and life safety.’’. 
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