Tillis bill addressing mental health illness in criminal justice system passes Senate

The U.S. Senate on Nov. 16 approved the bipartisan Crisis Stabilization and Community Reentry Act of 2020 cosponsored by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC).

“I want to thank my colleagues in the Senate for unanimously passing this bill and encouraging partnerships between law enforcement and mental health providers to address mental illness in our criminal justice system,” Sen. Tillis said on Tuesday.

The measure, S. 3312, introduced in February by U.S. Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), would authorize grants to allow law enforcement to partner with mental health providers on treatment and crisis stabilization services for incarcerated individuals and promote community-based care upon reentry, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Tillis’ office. 

“This bipartisan legislation provides our communities with the resources they need to assist those with mental illnesses before, during and after their involvement with the justice system,” said Sen. Tillis, who in June signed on as a cosponsor of S. 3312. 

If enacted, the legislation specifically would authorize collaborative programs involving justice and mental health agencies and community-based behavioral health providers; community-level crisis response programs that involve all stakeholders in building and implementation; and targeted training programs for law enforcement related to medication adherence and continuity of care, among other provisions, according to the bill summary.

Following its approval, the Senate on Nov. 17 sent the bill for consideration to the U.S. House of Representatives, where the identical H.R. 5909 is being reviewed by U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee members.