Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
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1 State of Arkansas A Bill
2 95th General Assembly
3 Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1998
4
5 By: Representative Torres
6 By: Senator Dees
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO CREATE THE JAMES MCFERRON MENTAL HEALTH,
10 WELLNESS, AND RESILIENCY ACT; TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO
11 SERVICES AND TRAINING TO FIRST RESPONDERS; TO PROVIDE
12 AND PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH, LEADERSHIP, WELLNESS, AND
13 RESILIENCY PROGRAMS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS ACROSS THE
14 STATE; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
15
16
17 Subtitle
18 TO CREATE THE JAMES MCFERRON MENTAL
19 HEALTH, WELLNESS, AND RESILIENCY ACT;
20 AND TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO SERVICES AND
21 TRAINING TO FIRST RESPONDERS.
22
23 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
24
25 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 12, Chapter 1, is amended to add an
26 additional subchapter to read as follows:
27 Subchapter 2 -- James McFerron Mental Health, Wellness, and Resiliency Act
28
29 12-1-201. Title.
30 This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the "James McFerron
31 Mental Health, Wellness, and Resiliency Act".
32
33 12-1-202. Legislative findings and intent.
34 (a) The General Assembly finds that:
35 (1) Mental health conditions affect a significant portion of
36 first responders across the state and have long-term impacts on first
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1 responders, their families, and the communities they serve;
2 (2) Increased training for peer-to-peer support and access to
3 mental health, leadership, wellness, and resiliency programs and services
4 lead to better mental and physical wellness in our first responders across
5 the state;
6 (3) Mental health, leadership, wellness, and resiliency training
7 and education programs improve a first responder's ability to cope with
8 stress, both on and off duty, trauma, and adversity; and
9 (4) A coordinated effort is needed to address first responder
10 mental health, leadership, wellness, and resiliency disparities amongst
11 state, county, and local agencies and to promote mental health, leadership,
12 wellness, and resiliency.
13 (b) The General Assembly intends this act to provide for mental
14 health, leadership, wellness, and resiliency training programs, services, and
15 resources to be accessible to all first responders across the state,
16 promoting holistic wellness.
17
18 12-1-203. Definitions.
19 As used in this subchapter:
20 (1) "Certified peer support member" means a first responder, a
21 retired first responder, or a chaplain who has received training in providing
22 peer-to-peer support and been certified by the Department of Public Safety to
23 provide peer-to-peer support to other first responders;
24 (2) "Chaplain" means a member of the clergy;
25 (3) "First responder" means a person with specialized training
26 who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance or incident
27 resolution at the scene of an emergency, including without limitation a
28 certified law enforcement officer, a firefighter, an emergency medical
29 services provider, a public safety or emergency medical dispatcher, and an
30 employee of a correctional facility; and
31 (4) "Peer-to-peer support" includes without limitation
32 trainings, programs, resources, and emotional and moral support in subjects
33 including without limitation mental health, leadership, wellness, resiliency,
34 and critical incident stress management.
35
36 12-1-204. Expansion of mental health services.
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HB1998
1 The Department of Public Safety shall develop and provide to first
2 responders in every region of the state:
3 (1) Training to become a certified peer support member; and
4 (2) Programs and resources on subjects including without
5 limitation mental health, leadership, wellness, resiliency, and critical
6 incident stress management.
7
8 12-1-205. Peer-to-peer support network.
9 (a) The Department of Public Safety shall:
10 (1) Establish a peer-to-peer support network consisting of
11 volunteers who are certified peer support members;
12 (2) Designate an employee of the department to serve as the
13 coordinator for the peer-to-peer support network; and
14 (3) Work to ensure that members of the peer-to-peer support
15 network are located throughout the state.
16 (b) The department shall coordinate with the members of the peer-to-
17 peer network to:
18 (1) Provide peer-to-peer support to a requesting agency that
19 employs a first responder; and
20 (2) Ensure that peer-to-peer support is accessible to a first
21 responder in the state, regardless of location.
22
23 12-1-206. Reporting.
24 The Department of Public Safety shall provide an annual report to the
25 Governor and Legislative Council summarizing the department's activities
26 under this subchapter.
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3 04/07/2025 2:48:56 PM CEB282Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.