PROTECT 911 Act

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2763 To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among public safety telecommunicators. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 20, 2023 Ms. KELLY of Illinois (for herself, Mrs. TORRES of California, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. NORTON, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Ms. TITUS, Mr. KIM of New Jersey, Ms. SCHOLTEN, Ms. BUDZINSKI, and Mr. VASQUEZ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on En- ergy 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 telecommunica- tors. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Providing Resources 4 and Occupational Training for Emotional Crisis and 5 Trauma in 911 Act’’ or the ‘‘PROTECT 911 Act’’. 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:15 Apr 26, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2763.IH H2763 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 2763 IH SEC. 2. BEST PRACTICES AND OTHER RESOURCES FOR AD- 1 DRESSING MENTAL HEALTH IN PUBLIC SAFE- 2 TY TELECOMMUNICATORS. 3 (a) BEST PRACTICES.—The Secretary shall— 4 (1) develop and make publicly available evi- 5 dence-based best practices to identify, prevent, and 6 treat posttraumatic stress disorder and co-occurring 7 disorders in public safety telecommunicators; and 8 (2) periodically reassess and update, as the Sec- 9 retary determines necessary, such best practices. 10 (b) DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES FOR EDUCATING 11 MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ABOUT TREATING 12 PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS.—The Secretary 13 shall develop and make publicly available resources that 14 may be used by the Federal Government and other entities 15 to educate mental health professionals about— 16 (1) the culture of emergency communications 17 centers; 18 (2) the different stressors experienced by public 19 safety telecommunicators; 20 (3) challenges encountered by retired public 21 safety telecommunicators; and 22 (4) evidence-based therapies for mental health 23 issues common to public safety telecommunicators. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:15 Apr 26, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2763.IH H2763 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 2763 IH (c) CONSULTATION.—In developing best practices 1 under subsection (a) and resources under subsection (b), 2 the Secretary shall consult with— 3 (1) public health experts; 4 (2) mental health experts with experience 5 studying suicide, posttraumatic stress disorder, and 6 other illnesses associated with job-related stress; 7 (3) clinicians with experience in diagnosing and 8 treating mental health issues; and 9 (4) relevant national nonprofit associations of 10 public safety telecommunicators. 11 (d) DEFINITIONS.— 12 (1) EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER.— 13 The term ‘‘emergency communications center’’ 14 means a facility that is designated to receive a 9– 15 1–1 request for emergency assistance and perform 16 one or more of the following functions: 17 (A) Process and analyze 9–1–1 requests 18 for emergency assistance and other gathered in- 19 formation. 20 (B) Dispatch appropriate emergency re- 21 sponse providers. 22 (C) Transfer or exchange 9–1–1 requests 23 for emergency assistance and other gathered in- 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:15 Apr 26, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2763.IH H2763 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 2763 IH formation with other emergency communica- 1 tions centers and emergency response providers. 2 (D) Analyze any communications received 3 from emergency response providers. 4 (E) Support incident command functions. 5 (2) PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATOR.— 6 The term ‘‘public safety telecommunicator’’ means a 7 public safety telecommunicator as designated in de- 8 tailed occupation 43–5031 in the Standard Occupa- 9 tional Classification Manual of the Office of Man- 10 agement and Budget (2018), or any successor des- 11 ignation. 12 SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS 13 PROGRAMS WITHIN EMERGENCY COMMU- 14 NICATIONS CENTERS. 15 Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act 16 (42 U.S.C. 243 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 17 the following: 18 ‘‘SEC. 320C. GRANTS FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND 19 WELLNESS PROGRAMS WITHIN EMERGENCY 20 COMMUNICATIONS CENTERS. 21 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 22 grants to State, local, and regional emergency communica- 23 tions centers and other eligible entities for the purpose of 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:15 Apr 26, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2763.IH H2763 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 2763 IH establishing or enhancing behavioral health and wellness 1 programs. 2 ‘‘(b) PROGRAM DESCRIPTION.—A behavioral health 3 and wellness program funded under this section shall— 4 ‘‘(1) establish evidence-based behavioral health 5 and wellness programs for emergency communica- 6 tions centers to support public safety telecommu- 7 nicators, including programs dedicated to raising 8 awareness of, preventing, and mitigating job-related 9 mental health issues; 10 ‘‘(2) establish or enhance peer-support behav- 11 ioral health and wellness programs; 12 ‘‘(3) acquire materials or instructors to provide 13 such training; and 14 ‘‘(4) disseminate such information and mate- 15 rials as are necessary to carry out the program. 16 ‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.— 17 ‘‘(1) EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER.— 18 The term ‘emergency communications center’ means 19 a facility that is designated to receive a 9–1–1 re- 20 quest for emergency assistance and perform one or 21 more of the following functions: 22 ‘‘(A) Process and analyze 9–1–1 requests 23 for emergency assistance and other gathered in- 24 formation. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:15 Apr 26, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2763.IH H2763 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 2763 IH ‘‘(B) Dispatch appropriate emergency re- 1 sponse providers. 2 ‘‘(C) Transfer or exchange 9–1–1 requests 3 for emergency assistance and other gathered in- 4 formation with other emergency communica- 5 tions centers and emergency response providers. 6 ‘‘(D) Analyze any communications received 7 from emergency response providers. 8 ‘‘(E) Support incident command functions. 9 ‘‘(2) OTHER ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term 10 ‘other eligible entity’ means a nonprofit organization 11 with expertise and experience with respect to the 12 health and wellness of public safety telecommunica- 13 tors, including State, local, and regional 9–1–1 au- 14 thorities and State, regional, and national public 15 safety communications associations. 16 ‘‘(3) PEER-SUPPORT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND 17 WELLNESS PROGRAM.—The term ‘peer-support be- 18 havioral health and wellness program’ means pro- 19 grams that use public safety telecommunicators to 20 serve as peer counselors or provide training to public 21 safety telecommunicators to serve as such peer coun- 22 selors. 23 ‘‘(4) PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATOR.— 24 The term ‘public safety telecommunicator’ means a 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:15 Apr 26, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2763.IH H2763 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 7 •HR 2763 IH public safety telecommunicator as designated in de- 1 tailed occupation 43–5031 in the Standard Occupa- 2 tional Classification Manual of the Office of Man- 3 agement and Budget (2018), or any successor des- 4 ignation.’’. 5 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:15 Apr 26, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2763.IH H2763 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB