I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1646 
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 
MARCH 8, 2019 
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 2019’’ or the ‘‘HERO Act 
of 2019’’. 
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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; including both the indi-
vidual’s role in their public safety agency and 
their primary occupation in the case of volun-
teer public safety officers; 
‘‘(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: 
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‘‘(1) Public health experts with experience in 
developing and maintaining suicide registries. 
‘‘(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 medical services, 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.— 
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‘‘(1) ANNUAL
REPORT.—Not later than one 
year after the date of enactment of the Helping 
Emergency Responders Overcome Act of 2019, 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 disag-
gregated by age, gender, and State of employ-
ment; 
‘‘(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) specify in detail, if found, any obsta-
cles in collecting suicide rates for volunteers 
and include recommended improvements to 
overcome such obstacles; 
‘‘(F) identify options for interventions to 
reduce suicide among public safety officers; and 
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‘‘(G) 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 
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). 
‘‘(g) PROHIBITED USE OF INFORMATION.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, if an individual is 
identified as deceased based on information contained in 
the Public Safety Officer Suicide Reporting System, such 
information may not be used to deny or rescind life insur-
ance payments or other benefits to a survivor of the de-
ceased individual.’’. 
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SEC. 
3. 
PEER-SUPPORT 
BEHAVIORAL 
HEALTH 
AND 
WELLNESS PROGRAMS WITHIN FIRE DEPART-
MENTS AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE 
AGENCIES. 
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 FIRE DEPART-
MENTS AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE 
AGENCIES. 
‘‘(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 fire departments and emergency medical 
services agencies. 
‘‘(b) PROGRAM DESCRIPTION.—A peer-support be-
havioral health and wellness program funded under this 
section shall— 
‘‘(1) use career and volunteer members of fire 
departments or emergency medical services agencies 
to serve as peer counselors; 
‘‘(2) provide training to members of career, vol-
unteer, and combination fire departments or emer-
gency medical service agencies to serve as such peer 
counselors; 
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‘‘(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: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘eligible entity’ means a non-
profit organization with expertise and experience 
with respect to the health and life safety of members 
of fire and emergency medical services agencies. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘member’— 
‘‘(A) with respect to an emergency medical 
services agency, means an employee, regardless 
of rank or whether they receive compensation 
(as defined in section 1204(7) of the Omnibus 
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 
(34 U.S.C. 10284(7)); and 
‘‘(B) with respect to a fire department, 
means a firefighter (as defined in section 
1204(4) of the Omnibus Crime Control and 
Safe 
Streets 
Act 
of 
1968 
(34 
U.S.C. 
10284(4)).’’. 
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SEC. 4. DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES FOR EDUCATING 
MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ABOUT 
TREATING FIRE FIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY 
MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the United 
States Fire Administration, in coordination with the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services, shall develop and 
make publicly available resources that may be used by the 
Federal Government and other entities to educate mental 
health professionals about— 
(1) the culture of Federal, State, Tribal, and 
local career, volunteer, and combination fire depart-
ments and emergency medical services agencies; 
(2) the different stressors experienced by fire-
fighters and emergency medical services personnel, 
supervisory firefighters and emergency medical serv-
ices personnel, and chief officers of fire departments 
and emergency medical services agencies; 
(3) challenges encountered by retired fire-
fighters and emergency medical services personnel; 
and 
(4) evidence-based therapies for mental health 
issues common to firefighters and emergency med-
ical services personnel within such departments and 
agencies. 
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(b) CONSULTATION.—In developing resources under 
subsection (a), the Administrator of the United States 
Fire Administration and the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall consult with national fire and emer-
gency medical services organizations. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘firefighter’’ means any employee 
of a Federal, State, Tribal, or local fire department 
who is responsible for responding to calls for emer-
gency service. 
(2) The term ‘‘emergency medical services per-
sonnel’’ means any employee, regardless of rank or 
whether they receive compensation, as defined in 
section 1204(7) of the Omnibus Crime Control and 
Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10284(7)). 
(3) The term ‘‘chief officer’’ means any indi-
vidual who is responsible for the overall operation of 
a fire department or an emergency medical services 
agency, irrespective of whether such individual also 
serves as a firefighter or emergency medical services 
personnel. 
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SEC. 5. BEST PRACTICES AND OTHER RESOURCES FOR AD-
DRESSING 
POSTTRAUMATIC 
STRESS 
DIS-
ORDER IN PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS. 
(a) DEVELOPMENT; UPDATES.—The Secretary of 
Health and Human Services shall— 
(1) develop and assemble evidence-based best 
practices and other resources to identify, prevent, 
and treat posttraumatic stress disorder and co-oc-
curring disorders in public safety officers; and 
(2) reassess and update, as the Secretary deter-
mines necessary, such best practices and resources, 
including based upon the options for interventions to 
reduce suicide among public safety officers identified 
in 
the 
annual 
reports 
required 
by 
section 
317U(e)(1)(F) of the Public Health Service Act, as 
added by section 2 of this Act. 
(b) CONSULTATION.—In developing, assembling, and 
updating the best practices and resources under sub-
section (a), the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
shall consult with, at a minimum, the following: 
(1) Public health experts. 
(2) Mental health experts with experience in 
studying suicide and other profession-related trau-
matic stress. 
(3) Clinicians with experience in diagnosing and 
treating mental health issues. 
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(4) Relevant national police, fire, and emer-
gency medical services organizations. 
(c) AVAILABILITY.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall make the best practices and re-
sources under subsection (a) available to Federal, State, 
and local fire, law enforcement, and emergency medical 
services agencies. 
(d) FEDERAL TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PRO-
GRAMS.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
shall work with Federal departments and agencies, includ-
ing the United States Fire Administration, to incorporate 
education and training on the best practices and resources 
under subsection (a) into Federal training and develop-
ment programs for public safety officers. 
(e) 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). 
Æ 
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