I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6601 
To increase access to mental health, substance use, and counseling services 
for first responders, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 10, 2025 
Ms. TOKUDA (for herself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. BALINT, Mr. LAMALFA, and 
Mr. TRAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To increase access to mental health, substance use, and 
counseling services for first responders, 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 ‘‘Crisis Assistance and 
Resources in Emergencies for First Responders Act’’ or 
the ‘‘CARE for First Responders Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. CRISIS COUNSELING ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 416(a) of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5183(a)) is amended by inserting ‘‘and to 
qualified emergency response providers responding to 
major disasters’’ after ‘‘victims of major disasters’’. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—Section 102 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5122) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(13) PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATOR.— 
The term ‘public safety telecommunicator’ means a 
public safety telecommunicator as designated in de-
tailed occupation 43–5031 in the Standard Occupa-
tional Classification Manual of the Office of Man-
agement and Budget issued in 2018, or any suc-
cessor designation. 
‘‘(14) QUALIFIED EMERGENCY RESPONSE PRO-
VIDERS.—The term ‘qualified emergency response 
providers’ means— 
‘‘(A) emergency response providers (as de-
fined in section 2 of the Homeland Security Act 
of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101)); and 
‘‘(B) public safety telecommunicators.’’. 
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SEC. 3. SPECIALIZED SERVICES FOR FIRST RESPONDERS. 
Subpart 3 of part B of title V of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb–31) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 520O. SPECIALIZED SERVICES FOR FIRST RESPOND-
ERS. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Sec-
retary of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Admin-
istration, shall develop and carry out a comprehensive pro-
gram designed to provide mental health services specifi-
cally tailored to qualified emergency response providers. 
Such program shall— 
‘‘(1) provide for mental health care availability 
to qualified emergency response providers on a 24- 
hour basis; 
‘‘(2) provide for a qualified emergency response 
providers hotline operated through the 988 Suicide 
and Crisis Lifeline under section 520E–3 of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb–36c) 
that is confidential and toll-free, sufficiently staffed 
by appropriately trained mental health personnel 
and available at all times; and 
‘‘(3) provide for outreach to, and education pro-
grams for, qualified emergency response providers 
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and their families, with priority given to qualified 
emergency response providers of major disasters. 
‘‘(b) BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, in con-
sultation with the heads of the agencies specified in 
paragraph (2), conduct or support research on best 
practices for providing mental health services to, and 
prevent suicide among, qualified emergency response 
providers. 
‘‘(2) AGENCIES SPECIFIED.—The agencies spec-
ified in this paragraph are the following: 
‘‘(A) The Department of Homeland Secu-
rity. 
‘‘(B) The Federal Emergency Management 
Agency. 
‘‘(C) The United States Fire Administra-
tion. 
‘‘(D) The National Institute of Mental 
Health. 
‘‘(E) The Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention. 
‘‘(F) The Department of Justice. 
‘‘(c) INFORMATION ADDRESSED IN EDUCATION PRO-
GRAMS.—Education provided under subsection (a)(3) shall 
include information designed to— 
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‘‘(1) remove the stigma associated with mental 
illness; 
‘‘(2) encourage qualified emergency response 
providers to seek treatment and assistance for men-
tal illness; 
‘‘(3) promote skills for coping with mental ill-
ness; and 
‘‘(4) help families of qualified emergency re-
sponse providers with— 
‘‘(A) understanding issues arising from the 
transition of qualified emergency response pro-
viders back into family life and regular work, 
following the end of a disaster assignment; 
‘‘(B) identifying signs and symptoms of 
mental illness; and 
‘‘(C) encouraging qualified emergency re-
sponse providers to seek assistance for mental 
illness. 
‘‘(d) PEER SUPPORT COUNSELING PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, as 
part of the comprehensive program under this sec-
tion, establish and carry out a peer support coun-
seling program, under which active and retired 
qualified emergency response providers may volun-
teer as peer counselors— 
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‘‘(A) to assist other qualified emergency 
response providers with issues related to mental 
health, readiness, and readjustment; and 
‘‘(B) to conduct outreach to qualified 
emergency response providers and their fami-
lies. 
‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATION.—In carrying out the 
peer support counseling program under this section, 
the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) provide for adequate training of indi-
viduals who volunteer to serve as peer coun-
selors, including training carried out under sec-
tion 416(a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; and 
‘‘(B) coordinate with such community or-
ganizations, State and local governments, insti-
tutions of higher education, chambers of com-
merce, local business organizations, organiza-
tions that provide mental health services, and 
other organizations as the Secretary considers 
appropriate. 
‘‘(e) OTHER COMPONENTS.—The Secretary may take 
such other actions to carry out the comprehensive program 
under this section as the Secretary determines appropriate 
for purposes of reducing the incidence of mental illness 
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and suicide among qualified emergency response pro-
viders. 
‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) MAJOR DISASTER.—The term ‘major dis-
aster’ has the meaning given such term in section 
102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122). 
‘‘(2) PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS.— 
The term ‘public safety telecommunicator’ means a 
public safety telecommunicator as designated in de-
tailed occupation 43–5031 in the Standard Occupa-
tional Classification Manual of the Office of Man-
agement and Budget issued in 2018, or any suc-
cessor designation. 
‘‘(3) QUALIFIED EMERGENCY RESPONSE PRO-
VIDERS.—The term ‘qualified emergency response 
providers’ means— 
‘‘(A) emergency response providers (as de-
fined in section 2 of the Homeland Security Act 
of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101)); and 
‘‘(B) public safety telecommunicators. 
‘‘SEC. 520P. ON-SITE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance 
Use, shall award competitive grants to eligible entities to 
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establish a new health care delivery site that is a mobile 
unit to provide integrated, short-term crisis services to 
qualified emergency response providers of a major dis-
aster. Such services shall be— 
‘‘(1) linguistically and culturally appropriate; 
‘‘(2) trauma-informed; and 
‘‘(3) incorporate disaster behavioral interven-
tions. 
‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
a grant under this subsection may use funds received 
through the grant to provide mobile crisis response, sta-
bilization, and intervention services, including— 
‘‘(1) initial support and triage via mobile crisis 
team visits; 
‘‘(2) on-site screening and evaluation of mental 
and behavioral health issues; 
‘‘(3) assessment of current supports and re-
sources; 
‘‘(4) short-term crisis management throughout 
a major disaster; 
‘‘(5) referral for appropriate follow-up services, 
including sub-acute or acute hospital care; 
‘‘(6) supportive, collaborative crisis planning; 
‘‘(7) consultation with existing supports and 
services; and 
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‘‘(8) self-care techniques and resilience training. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZED PURCHASE OR LEASE.—The Sec-
retary may purchase or lease equipment for purposes of 
carrying out this section, which may include data and in-
formation systems (including the costs of repaying the 
principal of, and paying the interest on, loans for equip-
ment). 
‘‘(d) GRANT TERMS.— 
‘‘(1) MAXIMUM
AMOUNT.—The amount of a 
grant awarded under subsection (a) may not exceed 
$150,000. 
‘‘(2) DURATION.—The term of a grant awarded 
under subsection (a) shall be for a period of not less 
than 6 months. Such term is renewable for a single, 
additional term so that the total term of the grant 
does not exceed 2 years. 
‘‘(e) EVALUATIONS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 
The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) evaluate the activities supported by grants 
awarded under subsection (a), and disseminate, as 
appropriate, the findings from the evaluation; 
‘‘(2) provide appropriate information, training, 
and technical assistance, as appropriate, to eligible 
entities that receive a grant under this section, to 
help such entities to meet the requirements of this 
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