The bill would direct the Attorney General, working with the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to create competitive grants for state, tribal, and local governments that manage emergency services. Grants could support mental health professionals in 911 dispatch, routing calls to 988 or other crisis hotlines, and smoother handoffs between emergency services and crisis hotlines. The bill would not require jurisdictions to remove law enforcement from emergency responses or override state laws on involuntary treatment or emergency authority. Grant recipients would report each year on response times, use of force, diversion rates, and other requested information.
If enacted, eligible jurisdictions could apply for grants to develop or expand health-centered responses to behavioral health emergencies. The bill does not require any jurisdiction to change its emergency response model.
The bill authorizes $25 million for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2031. This is authorization for funding, not a statement that the money has been appropriated.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.