Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Law Enforcement Training Act
Bill: H.R.2992 | Sponsor: Rep. Pascrell, Bill, Jr. (D-NJ)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Law Enforcement Training Act or the TBI and PTSD Law Enforcement Training Act
This bill requires the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to consult with relevant agencies to establish crisis intervention training tools for first responders to address individuals with traumatic brain injuries, acquired brain injuries, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The BJA must ensure that at least one police department designated as a Law Enforcement Mental Health Learning Site utilizes the tools and that such tools are part of the Police-Mental Health Collaboration Toolkit.
Additionally, the bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study and report about the prevalence and incidence of concussions among first responders.

[117th Congress Public Law 170]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 136 STAT. 2091]]

Public Law 117-170
117th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To direct the Attorney General to develop crisis intervention training 
 tools for use by first responders related to interacting with persons 
   who have a traumatic brain injury, another form of acquired brain 
        injury, or post-traumatic stress disorder, and for other 
            purposes. <<NOTE: Aug. 16, 2022 -  [H.R. 2992]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Traumatic Brain 
Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Law Enforcement Training 
Act. 34 USC 10101 note.>> 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder Law Enforcement Training Act'' or the ``TBI 
and PTSD Law Enforcement Training Act''.
SEC. 2. <<NOTE: 34 USC 10653 note.>>  FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) According to the Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention, there were approximately 2.9 million traumatic brain 
        injury-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, 
        and deaths in the United States in 2014.
            (2) Effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be short-
        term or long-term, and include impaired thinking or memory, 
        movement, vision or hearing, or emotional functioning, such as 
        personality changes or depression.
            (3) Currently, between 3.2 million and 5.3 million persons 
        are living with a TBI-related disability in the United States.
            (4) About 7 or 8 percent of Americans will experience post-
        traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in their lives, 
        and about 8 million adults have PTSD during the course of a 
        given year.
            (5) TBI and PTSD have been recognized as the signature 
        injuries of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
            (6) According to the Department of Defense, 383,000 men and 
        women deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan sustained a brain injury 
        while in the line of duty between 2000 and 2018.
            (7) Approximately 13.5 percent of Operations Iraqi Freedom 
        and Enduring Freedom veterans screen positive for PTSD, 
        according to the Department of Veteran Affairs.
            (8) About 12 percent of Gulf War Veterans have PTSD in a 
        given year while about 30 percent of Vietnam Veterans have had 
        PTSD in their lifetime.
            (9) Physical signs of TBI can include motor impairment, 
        dizziness or poor balance, slurred speech, impaired depth 
        perception, or impaired verbal memory, while physical signs of 
        PTSD can include agitation, irritability, hostility,

[[Page 136 STAT. 2092]]

        hypervigilance, self-destructive behavior, fear, severe anxiety, 
        or mistrust.
            (10) Physical signs of TBI and PTSD often overlap with 
        physical signs of alcohol or drug impairment, which complicate a 
        first responder's ability to quickly and effectively identify an 
        individual's condition.
SEC. 3. CREATION OF A TBI AND PTSD TRAINING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS.

    Part HH of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act 
of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10651 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) <<NOTE: 34 USC 10651.>>  in section 2991--
                    (A) in subsection (h)(1)(A), by inserting before the 
                period at the end the following: ``, including the 
                training developed under section 2993''; and
                    (B) in subsection (o), by amending paragraph (1) to 
                read as follows:
            ``(1) <<NOTE: Appropriations authorization. Time periods.>>  
        In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the 
        Department of Justice to carry out this section $54,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.''; and
            (2) by inserting after section 2992 the following new 
        section:
``SEC. 2993. <<NOTE: 34 USC 10653.>>  CREATION OF A TBI AND PTSD 
                          TRAINING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS.

    ``(a) <<NOTE: Deadline. Consultation.>>  In General.--Not later than 
one year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Attorney 
General, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Justice 
Assistance, in consultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention and the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and 
Substance Use, shall solicit best practices regarding techniques to 
interact with persons who have a traumatic brain injury, an acquired 
brain injury, or post-traumatic stress disorder from first responder, 
brain injury, veteran, and mental health organizations, health care and 
mental health providers, hospital emergency departments, and other 
relevant stakeholders, and shall develop crisis intervention training 
tools for use by first responders (as such term is defined in section 
3025) that provide--
            ``(1) information on the conditions and symptoms of a 
        traumatic brain injury, an acquired brain injury, and post-
        traumatic stress disorder;
            ``(2) techniques to interact with persons who have a 
        traumatic brain injury, an acquired brain injury, or post-
        traumatic stress disorder; and
            ``(3) information on how to recognize persons who have a 
        traumatic brain injury, an acquired brain injury, or post-
        traumatic stress disorder.

    ``(b) Use of Training Tools at Law Enforcement Mental Health 
Learning Sites.--The Attorney General shall ensure that not less than 
one Law Enforcement Mental Health Learning Site designated by the 
Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance uses the training tools 
developed under subsection (a).
    ``(c) Police Mental Health Collaboration Toolkit.--The Attorney 
General shall make the training tools developed under subsection (a) 
available as part of the Police-Mental Health Collaboration Toolkit 
provided by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.''.

[[Page 136 STAT. 2093]]

SEC. 4. STUDY ON FIRST RESPONDERS WITH TBI.

    Not later than 24 months <<NOTE: Consultation. Reports.>>  after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention and the Director of the National Institutes of Health and 
in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs, shall conduct a study and submit to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions of the Senate a report on the 
prevalence and incidence of concussion among first responders (as such 
term is defined in section 3025 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Street Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10705)). <<NOTE: Data. Recommenda- 
tions.>>  The report shall include data on the incidence of concussion 
among first responders and recommendations for resources for first 
responders who have experienced traumatic brain injury.

    Approved August 16, 2022.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 2992:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSE REPORTS: No. 117-336, Pt. 1 (Comm. on the Judiciary).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 168 (2022):
            May 18, considered and passed House.
            Aug. 1, considered and passed Senate.

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