Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act of 2025 in plain language
1: Short title
This section would give the Act the short title "Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act of 2025."
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act of 2025 .
2: Findings
This section would have Congress state a series of findings. Public safety officers, including police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and 911 dispatchers, serve their communities and are on the front lines of situations that are stressful, graphic, harrowing, and life-threatening, and this work puts them at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder. An estimated 30 percent of public safety officers develop behavioral health conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder at some point in their lives, compared with 20 percent of the general population. People with post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder face a higher risk of dying by suicide, and firefighters have been reported to have higher suicide attempt and ideation rates than the general population; an estimated 125 to 300 police officers die by suicide every year. A 2019 report by the Director of the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, required under section 2(b) of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-113; 131 Stat. 2276), found that many law enforcement agencies lack the capacity or local access to the mental health professionals needed to treat their officers, and recommended methods for setting up remote access or regional mental health check programs at the state or federal level. Individual police and fire departments generally lack the resources to employ full-time mental health experts able to treat public safety officers with state-of-the-art techniques for job-related post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder.
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2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Public safety officers serve their communities with bravery and distinction in order to keep their communities safe. (2) Public safety officers, including police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and 911 dispatchers, are on the front lines of dealing with situations that are stressful, graphic, harrowing, and life-threatening. (3) The work of public safety officers puts them at risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder. (4) It is estimated that 30 percent of public safety officers develop behavioral health conditions at some point in their lifetimes, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, in comparison to 20 percent of the general population that develops such conditions. (5) Victims of post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder are at a higher risk of dying by suicide. (6) Firefighters have been reported to have higher suicide attempt and ideation rates than the general population. (7) It is estimated that between 125 and 300 police officers die by suicide every year. (8) In 2019, pursuant to section 2(b) of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017 ( Public Law 115–113 ; 131 Stat. 2276), the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services of the Department of Justice developed a report (referred to in this section as the LEMHWA report ) that expressed that many law enforcement agencies do not have the capacity or local access to the mental health professionals necessary for treating their law enforcement officers. (9) The LEMHWA report recommended methods for establishing remote access or regional mental health check programs at the State or Federal level. (10) Individual police and fire departments generally do not have the resources to employ full-time mental health experts who are able to treat public safety officers with state-of-the-art techniques for the purpose of treating job-related post-traumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder.
3: Programming for post-traumatic stress disorder
This section would define "public safety officer" to have the meaning given in section 1204 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10284), and that meaning would include tribal public safety officers. It would define "public safety telecommunicator" as an individual who operates telephone, radio, or other communication systems to receive and communicate requests for emergency assistance at 911 public safety answering points and emergency operations centers; who takes information from the public and other sources about crimes, threats, disturbances, acts of terrorism, fires, medical emergencies, and other public safety matters; and who coordinates and provides information to law enforcement and emergency response personnel. This section would require the Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, to submit a report to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the House Committee on the Judiciary not later than 150 days after the Act is enacted. The report would have to include: at least one proposed program, if the Attorney General finds it appropriate and feasible, for the Department of Justice to administer that would give public safety officers and public safety telecommunicators access to evidence-based trauma-informed care, peer support, counselor services, and family supports for treating or preventing job-related post-traumatic stress disorder or acute stress disorder; a draft of any grant conditions needed to keep confidential the fact that an officer sought that care or those services; an explanation of how each proposed program could be administered most efficiently across the United States at the state, tribal, territorial, and local levels, taking into account both in-person and telehealth capabilities; a draft of the legislative language needed to authorize each proposed program; and an estimate of the annual appropriations needed to administer each proposed program. In preparing the report, this section would require the Attorney General to consult relevant stakeholders, including federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local agencies that employ public safety officers and public safety telecommunicators, and non-governmental organizations, international organizations, academies, or other entities, including organizations that support the interests of public safety officers and public safety telecommunicators and of their family members.
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3. Programming for post-traumatic stress disorder (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Public safety officer The term public safety officer — (A) has the meaning given the term in section 1204 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10284 ); and (B) includes Tribal public safety officers. (2) Public safety telecommunicator The term public safety telecommunicator means an individual who— (A) operates telephone, radio, or other communication systems to receive and communicate requests for emergency assistance at 911 public safety answering points and emergency operations centers; (B) takes information from the public and other sources relating to crimes, threats, disturbances, acts of terrorism, fires, medical emergencies, and other public safety matters; and (C) coordinates and provides information to law enforcement and emergency response personnel. (b) Report Not later than 150 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services of the Department of Justice, shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report on— (1) not fewer than 1 proposed program, if the Attorney General determines it appropriate and feasible to do so, to be administered by the Department of Justice for making state-of-the-art treatments or preventative care available to public safety officers and public safety telecommunicators with regard to job-related post-traumatic stress disorder or acute stress disorder by providing public safety officers and public safety telecommunicators access to evidence-based trauma-informed care, peer support, counselor services, and family supports for the purpose of treating or preventing post-traumatic stress disorder or acute stress disorder; (2) a draft of any necessary grant conditions required to ensure that confidentiality is afforded to public safety officers on account of seeking the care or services described in paragraph (1) under the proposed program; (3) how each proposed program described in paragraph (1) could be most efficiently administered throughout the United States at the State, Tribal, territorial, and local levels, taking into account in-person and telehealth capabilities; (4) a draft of legislative language necessary to authorize each proposed program described in paragraph (1); and (5) an estimate of the amount of annual appropriations necessary for administering each proposed program described in paragraph (1). (c) Development In developing the report required under subsection (b), the Attorney General shall consult relevant stakeholders, including— (1) Federal, State, Tribal, territorial, and local agencies employing public safety officers and public safety telecommunicators; and (2) non-governmental organizations, international organizations, academies, or other entities, including organizations that support the interests of public safety officers and public safety telecommunicators and the interests of family members of public safety officers and public safety telecommunicators.