Official Summaries

First Responders Wellness Act

This bill establishes a national mental health hotline for first responders and provides mental health services for emergency response providers responding to major disasters.

The bill requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to establish a mental health hotline staffed with specialists trained to provide first responders and their families with peer support, mental and behavioral health and substance use disorder assistance, and referral services. SAMHSA must raise awareness about the hotline and develop guidance regarding first responders for personnel operating the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. SAMHSA must report to Congress annually on the hotline.

Also, the bill expands the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program, which provides mental health services to victims of major disasters, so that emergency response providers responding to major disasters may also receive these services.

Additionally, the bill requires SAMHSA to publish a report with recommendations for establishing a mobile health care delivery site to provide crisis services to emergency response providers responding to a major disaster.

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 666 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 666

  To increase access to mental health, substance use, and counseling 
         services for first responders, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 20, 2025

 Mrs. Gillibrand (for herself and Mr. Hawley) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``First Responders Wellness Act''.

SEC. 2. FIRST RESPONDERS MENTAL HEALTH HOTLINE.

    Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 399V-8. FIRST RESPONDERS MENTAL HEALTH HOTLINE.

    ``(a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of the First Responders Wellness Act, the Secretary, acting 
through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, 
shall maintain, directly or by contract or grant, a national first 
responders emergency hotline to provide peer and emotional support, 
information, brief intervention, and mental and behavioral health and 
substance use disorder resources and referrals to first responders and 
to their families or household members.
    ``(b) Requirements for Hotline.--The hotline established under 
subsection (a) shall--
            ``(1) operate as a separate, widely recognizable number 
        with bidirectional transfer options with the 988 Suicide and 
        Crisis Lifeline established pursuant to section 520E-3;
            ``(2) provide toll-free, real-time, live assistance 24/7;
            ``(3) provide voice and text support;
            ``(4) be sufficiently staffed by, at a minimum, culturally 
        competent first responder peer specialists or first responder 
        mental health services providers who have distinct knowledge 
        of, and are trained on--
                    ``(A) the essential functions of first responders 
                and public safety organizations;
                    ``(B) the working conditions unique to first 
                responders;
                    ``(C) common and novel stressors inherent in public 
                safety and emergency response work;
                    ``(D) normal and abnormal adaptation to 
                occupational stress and trauma; and
                    ``(E) the unique aspects of confidentiality and 
                testimonial privilege; and
            ``(5) provide peer support, mental and behavioral health 
        and substance use disorder assistance, and referral services to 
        meet the needs of first responders and family members or 
        household members at risk of experiencing mental or behavioral 
        health or substance use disorders.
    ``(c) Additional Requirements.--
            ``(1) In general.--In maintaining the hotline under 
        subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) consult with the National Domestic Violence 
                Hotline, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and the 
                Veterans Crisis Line to ensure that first responders 
                are connected in real-time to the appropriate 
                specialized hotline service, when applicable;
                    ``(B) conduct a public awareness campaign for the 
                hotline under subsection (a);
                    ``(C) consult with Federal departments and 
                agencies, including the Substance Abuse and Mental 
                Health Services Administration and the Department of 
                Justice, to increase awareness regarding the hotline 
                under subsection (a); and
                    ``(D) consult with organizations that operate 
                existing crisis or peer support hotlines for first 
                responders with respect to best practices for operating 
                such hotlines.
            ``(2) Existing hotlines.--The Secretary or an entity 
        receiving a grant or contract under subsection (a), as 
        applicable, shall form partnerships between the existing 
        national first responders mental health hotline and other first 
        responder helplines and websites.
            ``(3) Coordination.--The Secretary shall ensure that calls 
        from public safety personnel received through the 988 Suicide 
        and Crisis Lifeline are appropriately referred to the hotline 
        under subsection (a).
            ``(4) Training curriculum.--Not later than 2 years after 
        the date of enactment of the First Responders Wellness Act, the 
        Secretary shall develop, in coordination with mental health 
        providers and first responder associations or personnel, 
        trauma-informed and culturally competent training, guidance, 
        and standards for 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline network 
        center personnel on the unique concerns, resources, linkages, 
        and stressors of first responders.
    ``(d) Annual Report.--The Secretary shall submit an annual report 
to Congress on the hotline under subsection (a) and implementation of 
this section, including--
            ``(1) an evaluation of the effectiveness of activities 
        conducted or supported under subsection (a);
            ``(2) an evaluation of staffing levels necessary to 
        maintain adequate services;
            ``(3) a directory of entities or organizations to which 
        staff maintaining the hotline funded under this section may 
        make referrals; and
            ``(4) such additional information as the Secretary 
        determines appropriate.
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Culturally competent first responder peer 
        specialist.--The term `culturally competent first responder 
        peer specialist' means an individual--
                    ``(A) with familiarity with, and understanding of, 
                the duties and unique stressors of first responders, 
                which may include experience working as a first 
                responder; and
                    ``(B) who completed a trauma-informed and 
                culturally competent training curriculum developed 
                pursuant to subsection (c)(4), or another trauma-
                informed and culturally competent training curriculum, 
                as the Secretary determines appropriate.
            ``(2) First responder.--The term `first responder'--
                    ``(A) means--
                            ``(i) a law enforcement officer, 
                        firefighter, or member of a rescue squad or 
                        ambulance crew (as such terms are defined in 
                        section 1204 of title I of the Omnibus Crime 
                        Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968); or
                            ``(ii) a public safety telecommunicator, 
                        including 9-1-1 operators and dispatchers; and
                    ``(B) includes a retired first responder.
            ``(3) First responder mental health services provider.--The 
        term `first responder mental health services provider' includes 
        a State-licensed or State-certified counselor, trauma 
        counselor, psychologist or other State licensed or certified 
        mental health professional who--
                    ``(A) is qualified under State law to provide 
                mental or behavioral health services; and
                    ``(B) has a familiarity with and understanding of 
                the duties and unique stressors of first responders.
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2031.''.

SEC. 3. CRISIS COUNSELING ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING.

    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''.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON ON-SITE SERVICES DURING A NATIONAL DISASTER.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall 
issue a report on best practices and recommendations to establish a new 
mobile health care delivery site to provide integrated, short-term 
crisis services to qualified emergency response providers of a major 
disaster. Such services shall--
            (1) be culturally and linguistically appropriate;
            (2) be trauma-informed; and
            (3) incorporate disaster behavioral interventions.
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Major disaster.--The term ``major disaster'' 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) Major disaster area.--The term ``major disaster area'' 
        has the meaning given such term in section 625.2 of title 20, 
        Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations).
            (3) Qualified emergency response providers.--The term 
        ``qualified emergency response providers'' means--
                    (A) emergency response providers (as defined in 
                section 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
                U.S.C. 101)); and
                    (B) public safety telecommunicators.
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