Brooks, Young bicameral measure to improve mental health care for law enforcement advances

Bipartisan, bicameral legislation introduced by Republicans from Indiana U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks and Sen. Todd Young to support law enforcement mental health programs moved a step closer to becoming law with unanimous passage in the House this week.

“Our police officers face a culture of silence when it comes to mental health challenges, and they need better access to mental health services to help them cope with unforgettable situations,” Brooks said.

The Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017, S. 867, unanimously passed the Senate in May. Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) joined Sen. Young in introducing the measure. The House on Tuesday passed its companion bill, H.R. 2228, which Rep. Brooks introduced along with Reps. Val Demings (D-FL), Doug Collins (R-GA), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) and Dave Reichert (R-WA). The House-passed version was slightly different and so the bill now moves back to the Senate for consideration.

“This bipartisan legislation is focused on supporting the mental health and wellness of the law enforcement officers who go to work every day protecting our families and communities,” Young and Donnelly said in a joint statement.

The bill would offer grants for law enforcement peer mentoring pilot programs, direct the U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to develop mental health provider resources specifically geared toward law enforcement mental health challenges, and study effectiveness of annual mental health checkups and crisis support hotlines.

Passage of the bill “ensures that we are one step closer to supporting the men and women in law enforcement with the resources they need to stay healthy while selflessly serving our communities and keeping us safe,” Brooks said.

Young and Donnelly added, “We thank Congresswomen Brooks and Demings for joining us in this effort and laud the House of Representatives for taking this step. We will continue working together to get this bill to the president’s desk to be signed into law.”

Law enforcement organizations have voiced their support of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act.

Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) National President Chuck Canterbury said, “This bill came to be when Senators Joe Donnelly and Todd Young reached out to us to see what more could be done to help law enforcement officers struggling to cope with the stresses of their profession. This legislation is the first step in making sure we do everything we can to improve the mental wellness of our nation’s law enforcement officers.”

In addition to the FOP, the legislation is endorsed by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the National Association of Police Officers, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, and other organizations.