Safe Interactions Act of 2021
Bill: S.1566 | Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. (D-PA)
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Safe Interactions Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to nonprofit disability organizations to develop training programs for law enforcement officers who may encounter individuals with disabilities.

To provide grants to enable nonprofit disability organizations to 
 develop training programs that support safe interactions between law 
   enforcement officers and individuals with disabilities and older 
                              individuals.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Safe Interactions Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Individuals with disabilities are 2.5 times more likely 
        to be victims of violent crime.
            (2) Individuals with disabilities are 3 times more likely 
        to be victims of a serious crime.
            (3) Individuals with disabilities make up between one-third 
        and one-half of all individuals killed by law enforcement 
        officers.

SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

     The purposes of this Act are to--
            (1) authorize the Secretary to award competitive grants to 
        nonprofit disability organizations to administer enhanced 
        training programs to law enforcement officers who may encounter 
        or provide services to covered individuals, including--
                    (A) individuals with mental health disabilities, 
                including schizophrenia;
                    (B) individuals who are deaf, deaf-blind, hard of 
                hearing, or blind, are autistic, or have other 
                intellectual or developmental disabilities;
                    (C) older individuals with dementia or other 
                cognitive impairments; or
                    (D) individuals with any other disabilities or 
                chronic health condition;
            (2) support, not replace, other specialized law enforcement 
        officer training; and
            (3)(A) increase the awareness, knowledge, and understanding 
        of law enforcement officers about covered individuals and their 
        unique needs and applicable Federal civil rights laws;
            (B) reduce incidences of violence between law enforcement 
        officers and covered individuals;
            (C) expand the knowledge of law enforcement officers, in 
        areas such as the signs of disabilities, identifying people 
        with disabilities, communicating with people with disabilities, 
        and effective ways to approach covered individuals to minimize 
        situations of risk to--
                    (i) those individuals; and
                    (ii) the law enforcement officers who intervene or 
                provide services to those individuals; and
            (D) increase the knowledge of law enforcement officers of 
        community resources available for covered individuals to 
        ultimately limit interactions with law enforcement officers.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Covered grant.--The term ``covered grant'' means a 
        grant awarded under section 5(a).
            (2) Covered individual.--The term ``covered individual'' 
        means--
                    (A) an older individual; or
                    (B) an individual with a disability.
            (3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        nonprofit disability organization that has formed a partnership 
        with a law enforcement agency or a consortium of law 
        enforcement agencies to administer enhanced training programs 
        to law enforcement officers of the agency or agencies on how to 
        interact with covered individuals.
            (4) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the 
        meaning given the term ``Indian tribe'' in section 4 of the 
        Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 
        U.S.C. 5304).
            (5) Individual with a disability.--The term ``individual 
        with a disability'' means any individual who has a disability, 
        as defined in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act 
        of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102).
            (6) Initial training program.--The term ``initial training 
        program'' means a mandatory training program offered to new law 
        enforcement officers during their orientation under section 
        5(d)(1)(A).
            (7) Law enforcement officer.--The term ``law enforcement 
        officer'' means any officer, agent, or employee of a State, 
        political subdivision of a State, or Indian Tribe--
                    (A) authorized by law or by a government agency to 
                engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, or 
                investigation of any violation of criminal law; or
                    (B) authorized by law to supervise sentenced 
                criminal offenders.
            (8) Nonprofit disability organization.--The term 
        ``nonprofit disability organization'' means a nonprofit 
        organization--
                    (A) that serves covered individuals; and
                    (B)(i) that is operated by a board of which the 
                majority of members are covered individuals;
                    (ii) that has an advisory panel of which the 
                majority of members are covered individuals; or
                    (iii) the majority of the employees of which are 
                covered individuals.
            (9) Older individual.--The term ``older individual'' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 102 of the Older 
        Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3002).
            (10) Partner academy.--The term ``partner academy'', with 
        respect to an eligible entity that receives a covered grant, 
        means a law enforcement training academy with which the 
        eligible entity partners to administer an initial training 
        program, as described in section 5(b)(1).
            (11) Partner agency.--The term ``partner agency'', with 
        respect to an eligible entity that receives a covered grant, 
        means the law enforcement agency with which the eligible entity 
        partners, or that is a member of a consortium with which the 
        eligible entity partners, to administer enhanced training 
        programs to law enforcement officers of the agency on how to 
        interact with covered individuals.
            (12) Refresher training program.--The term ``refresher 
        training program'' means a training program offered to existing 
        law enforcement officers under section 5(d)(1)(B).
            (13) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.

SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall award competitive grants to 
nonprofit disability organizations to administer enhanced training 
programs to law enforcement officers who may encounter or provide 
services to covered individuals.
    (b) Application.--An eligible entity seeking a covered grant shall 
submit to the Secretary an application that--
            (1)(A) identifies a law enforcement training academy with 
        which the eligible entity will partner to administer an initial 
        training program; and
            (B) includes a memorandum of understanding entered into 
        between the eligible entity and the law enforcement training 
        academy;
            (2) describes the training program curriculum, which shall 
        include training on how to interact with, identify, approach, 
        and communicate with covered individuals that is provided, as 
        of the date of submission of the application--
                    (A) by the partner academy to new law enforcement 
                officers; or
                    (B) by any partner agency to existing law 
                enforcement officers;
            (3) describes the learning objectives of the training 
        programs that the eligible entity will administer using the 
        grant;
            (4) describes the activities that will be carried out under 
        the grant;
            (5) includes a timeline of the activities described in 
        paragraph (4); and
            (6) demonstrates expertise in training related to covered 
        individuals.
    (c) Preferences.--In awarding covered grants, the Secretary shall 
ensure--
            (1) geographic diversity of grant recipients, including 
        grant recipients that serve rural localities; and
            (2) that the training funded by the grant is provided to 
        multiple levels of law enforcement agencies, including local, 
        county, State, and Tribal agencies.
    (d) Use of Funds.--
            (1) Mandatory uses.--An eligible entity that receives a 
        covered grant shall use the grant funds to--
                    (A) modify the training provided by the partner 
                academy to new law enforcement officers of each partner 
                agency so that the academy provides not fewer than 8 
                hours of training on topics such as how to interact 
                with, identify, approach, and communicate with covered 
                individuals and applicable Federal civil rights laws, 
                including not fewer than 4 hours of interactive 
                learning taught by covered individuals; and
                    (B) develop and implement an enhanced training 
                program for existing law enforcement officers of each 
                partner agency on safe, effective, and respectful 
                interactions with covered individuals--
                            (i) that includes--
                                    (I) awareness of and education 
                                about covered individuals, including--
                                            (aa) individuals with 
                                        mental health disabilities, 
                                        including schizophrenia;
                                            (bb) individuals who are 
                                        deaf, deaf-blind, hard of 
                                        hearing, or blind, are 
                                        autistic, or have other 
                                        intellectual or developmental 
                                        disabilities;
                                            (cc) older individuals with 
                                        dementia or other cognitive 
                                        impairments; and
                                            (dd) individuals with any 
                                        other disabilities or chronic 
                                        health condition;
                                    (II) escalation avoidance and de-
                                escalation techniques to be used when 
                                interacting with covered individuals, 
                                including procedures a law enforcement 
                                officer should follow to ensure the 
                                health and safety of a covered 
                                individual; and
                                    (III) communication strategies to 
                                be used when interacting with covered 
                                individuals, including individuals who 
                                do not use speech to communicate;
                            (ii) that utilizes--
                                    (I) instructors who are covered 
                                individuals; or
                                    (II) guest instructors or speakers 
                                who are covered individuals; and
                            (iii) in which each law enforcement officer 
                        participates not less frequently than 4 hours 
                        every year.
            (2) Optional uses.--An eligible entity that receives a 
        covered grant may use the grant funds to--
                    (A) expand an existing training program regarding 
                topics such as interacting with, identifying, 
                approaching, and communicating with covered individuals 
                that was provided to law enforcement officers by a 
                nonprofit disability organization in conjunction with 
                the partner academy or a partner agency before the 
                eligible entity received the grant;
                    (B) reimburse staff members of the eligible entity 
                for mileage and travel time expended to attend an 
                initial training program or refresher training program 
                occurring in person or online;
                    (C) develop a model of training that utilizes 
                volunteer instructors, except that the eligible entity 
                shall pay any instructor, including a guest instructor, 
                who is a covered individual;
                    (D) acquire a computer system or software needed 
                for the training programs; or
                    (E) support the paid participation of individuals 
                with disabilities and their family members as advisors.
    (e) Supplement, Not Supplant.--An eligible entity that receives a 
covered grant shall use the grant funds to supplement, and not 
supplant, any funds that would, in the absence of the grant funds, be 
made available from a State, political subdivision of a State, or 
Indian Tribe for the activities described in subsection (d).
    (f) Advisory Council.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity that receives a covered 
        grant shall establish an advisory council composed of 15 
        members to advise the eligible entity on activities carried out 
        using the grant.
            (2) Membership.--An advisory council established under 
        paragraph (1) shall--
                    (A) be composed of--
                            (i) 1 representative of the eligible entity 
                        who is a covered individual and shall serve as 
                        chair of the advisory council;
                            (ii) 1 representative of the State law 
                        enforcement training academy or law enforcement 
                        agency for the State that the eligible entity 
                        serves, who shall serve as vice chair of the 
                        advisory council;
                            (iii) 3 representatives of community-based 
                        organizations that support individuals with 
                        disabilities, not fewer than 2 of whom have a 
                        disability;
                            (iv) 2 representatives of community-based 
                        organizations that support older adults;
                            (v) 2 State officials or their designees;
                            (vi) 1 representative of an organization 
                        providing victim services;
                            (vii) 1 representative of a State public 
                        safety agency;
                            (viii) 3 members of the public with 
                        knowledge of individuals with disabilities and 
                        older adults with cognitive impairment, 
                        including not fewer than 2 self-advocates or 
                        family members of a covered individual; and
                            (ix) 1 active local or State law 
                        enforcement officer representing a labor or 
                        representative organization; and
                    (B) include a majority of representation from 
                racial and ethnic minority communities.
            (3) Duties.--An advisory council established under 
        paragraph (1) shall--
                    (A) advise the eligible entity and provide general 
                oversight of grant activities carried out by the 
                eligible entity, including development of the training 
                curriculum and implementation of the training programs; 
                and
                    (B) provide the advisory council with 
                recommendations for the sustainability and expansion of 
                the training programs, such as the development of a 
                train-the-trainer model.
    (g) Annual Report.--
            (1) Report to secretary by eligible entities.--Not later 
        than 1 year after receiving a covered grant, and each year 
        thereafter for the duration of the grant period, an eligible 
        entity that receives a covered grant shall submit the following 
        information to the Secretary with respect to the preceding 
        year:
                    (A) The number of individuals who benefitted from 
                the training programs provided by the eligible entity 
                using grant funds, including--
                            (i) the number of individuals who were 
                        trained through the training programs, 
                        including the total number of new law 
                        enforcement officers who participated in the 
                        initial training program and existing law 
                        enforcement officers who participated in the 
                        refresher training program; and
                            (ii) the estimated number of individuals 
                        who were impacted by the training programs.
                    (B) Demographic data, including age, sex, and race, 
                for the law enforcement officers who received the 
                training.
                    (C) The number of partner agencies that 
                participated in the training programs.
                    (D) Each partner law enforcement agency, including 
                the city and State in which the headquarters and each 
                local office of the agency are located, and the result 
                of that partnership.
                    (E) Any recommendations for improving the grant 
                program carried out under this Act.
            (2) Report to congress and the attorney general by the 
        secretary.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
        of this Act, and each year thereafter, the Secretary shall 
        submit a report on the grant program carried out under this 
        Act, with respect to the preceding year, to--
                    (A) the Attorney General;
                    (B) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
                    (D) the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate;
                    (E) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (F) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives.
    (h) Evaluation.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall use not more than 2 
        percent of the amounts made available under section 6 for 
        administrative purposes and for an evaluation of the grant 
        program carried out under this Act.
            (2) Independent evaluator.--The Secretary shall enter into 
        a contract with a third-party entity that is unrelated to any 
        recipient of a covered grant to carry out the evaluation under 
        paragraph (1).
            (3) Contents.--In carrying out the evaluation under 
        paragraph (1), the third-party entity contracted under 
        paragraph (2) shall report to the Secretary and the Attorney 
        General on--
                    (A) the demographic characteristics of the 
                population served by the training conducted by eligible 
                entities using covered grants; and
                    (B) any change in the occurrence of violence in the 
                communities served by training described in 
                subparagraph (A).

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2022 through 2025 to carry out this Act.
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