This bill would create a five-year pilot grant program run by the Attorney General through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The program would make grants to States, local governments, and Indian Tribal governments to create and operate "veterans response teams" inside law enforcement agencies. The bill lists many possible team activities, including identifying and training officers and community partners, using Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) tools and contacts, coordinating with veterans courts and justice outreach, offering mental health training, organizing volunteer first-responder teams to answer calls about veterans in crisis, tracking best practices, and offering ongoing contact for veterans after an incident. The program must report to Congress on applicants, awards, and average grant amounts. The authority ends five years after enactment and funding is subject to availability and to funds made available under part Q of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act for fiscal years 2026–2030.
If your city, county, tribe, or State wins a grant, local law enforcement could form a veterans response team that: trains officers on military-related mental health issues; works with VA offices, veterans courts, and community groups; and can respond to calls involving veterans. The bill requires reporting to Congress, so Congress would receive information on how many grants were requested and awarded and on average grant sizes.
No publicly available information on the total dollar amount authorized. The bill says the pilot would be carried out using funds made available under part Q of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act for fiscal years 2026 through 2030, and that funding is subject to the availability of appropriations.
The bill text describes goals such as improving coordination between law enforcement and VA services, training officers on veteran-specific mental health issues, creating volunteer response teams for veterans in crisis, and measuring and sharing best practices. Sponsors introduced the bill to authorize grants to create and operate these teams and to require reporting on the pilot program.
No publicly available information.