HR 2937

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 17, 2025

Ms. Kelly of Illinois (for herself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mrs. Torres of California, Mr. Neguse, and Ms. Scholten) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among public safety telecommunicators.

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 “Providing Resources and Occupational Training for Emotional Crisis and Trauma in 911 Act” or the “PROTECT 911 Act”.

SEC. 2. BEST PRACTICES AND OTHER RESOURCES FOR ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH IN PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS.

(a) Best Practices.—The Secretary shall—

(1) develop and make publicly available evidence-based best practices to identify, prevent, and treat posttraumatic stress disorder and co-occurring disorders in public safety telecommunicators; and

(2) periodically reassess and update, as the Secretary determines necessary, such best practices.

(b) Development of Resources for Educating Mental Health Professionals About Treating Public Safety Telecommunicators.—The Secretary shall develop and make publicly available resources that may be used by the Federal Government and other entities to educate mental health professionals about—

(1) the culture of emergency communications centers;

(2) the different stressors experienced by public safety telecommunicators;

(3) challenges encountered by retired public safety telecommunicators; and

(4) evidence-based therapies for mental health issues common to public safety telecommunicators.

(c) Consultation.—In developing best practices under subsection

(a) and resources under subsection (b), the Secretary shall consult with—

(1) public health experts;

(2) mental health experts with experience studying suicide, posttraumatic stress disorder, and other illnesses associated with job-related stress;

(3) clinicians with experience in diagnosing and treating mental health issues; and

(4) relevant national nonprofit associations of public safety telecommunicators.

(d) Definitions.—

(1) Emergency communications center.—The term “emergency communications center” means a facility that is designated to receive a 9-1-1 request for emergency assistance and perform one or more of the following functions:

(A) Process and analyze 9-1-1 requests for emergency assistance and other gathered information.

(B) Dispatch appropriate emergency response providers.

(C) Transfer or exchange 9-1-1 requests for emergency assistance and other gathered information with other emergency communications centers and emergency response providers.

(D) Analyze any communications received from emergency response providers.

(E) Support incident command functions.

(2) Public safety telecommunicator.—The term “public safety telecommunicator” means a public safety telecommunicator as designated in detailed occupation 43-5031 in the Standard Occupational Classification Manual of the Office of Management and Budget (2018), or any successor designation.

SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS WITHIN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS.

Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 243 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“SEC. 320C. GRANTS FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS WITHIN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS.

“(a) In General.—The Secretary shall award grants to State, local, and regional emergency communications centers and other eligible entities for the purpose of establishing or enhancing behavioral health and wellness programs.

“(b) Use of Funds.—An eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall use funds received through the grant—

“(1) to establish evidence-based behavioral health and wellness programs for emergency communications centers to support public safety telecommunicators, including programs dedicated to raising awareness of, preventing, and mitigating job-related mental health issues;

“(2) to establish or enhance peer-support behavioral health and wellness programs;

“(3) to acquire materials or instructors to provide such training; and

“(4) to disseminate such information and materials as are necessary to carry out a evidence-based behavioral health and wellness program.

“(c) Definitions.—

“(1) Emergency communications center.—The term ‘emergency communications center’ means a facility that is designated to receive a 9-1-1 request for emergency assistance and perform one or more of the following functions:

“(A) Process and analyze 9-1-1 requests for emergency assistance and other gathered information.

“(B) Dispatch appropriate emergency response providers.

“(C) Transfer or exchange 9-1-1 requests for emergency assistance and other gathered information with other emergency communications centers and emergency response providers.

“(D) Analyze any communications received from emergency response providers.

“(E) Support incident command functions.

“(2) Other eligible entity.—The term ‘other eligible entity’ means a nonprofit organization with expertise and experience with respect to the health and wellness of public safety telecommunicators, including State, local, and regional 9-1-1 authorities and State, regional, and national public safety communications associations.

“(3) Peer-support behavioral health and wellness program.—The term ‘peer-support behavioral health and wellness program’ means programs that use public safety telecommunicators to serve as peer counselors or provide training to public safety telecommunicators to serve as such peer counselors.

“(4) Public safety telecommunicator.—The term ‘public safety telecommunicator’ means a public safety telecommunicator as designated in detailed occupation 43-5031 in the Standard Occupational Classification Manual of the Office of Management and Budget (2018), or any successor designation.”. <all>