Sponsors (11)
Creates HHS guidance and a grant program to support evidence-based behavioral health and peer-support programs for 9-1-1/public safety telecommunicators.
The bill would expand evidence-based mental-health resources, training, and grant support for 9-1-1 telecommunicators—likely improving wellbeing and reducing turnover—but its impact depends on future appropriations, local adoption, and equitable access for small or rural centers, while adding federal spending pressure.
Public safety telecommunicators (9-1-1 operators, dispatchers) would gain access to evidence-based behavioral health services, peer-support programs, training, and materials that address job-related stress and PTSD — improving mental-health outcomes and likely reducing suicide, absenteeism, and turnover.
Emergency communications centers and 9-1-1 authorities could receive federal grant support to buy training, materials, and instructors to strengthen workforce resilience and skills.
Mental-health clinicians would receive targeted training about telecommunicator culture and stressors, improving the cultural competence and effectiveness of care for this workforce.
Developing, maintaining, and expanding guidance and grant programs increases federal spending pressure and could require appropriations that divert resources from other priorities.
Many benefits depend on Congress appropriating funds and on local employers adopting recommended practices; without sufficient appropriations or local buy-in, telecommunicators may not see meaningful workplace changes or services.
Smaller or rural emergency communications centers may struggle to compete for grants or meet matching/administrative requirements, leaving telecommunicators in those communities without access to new programs.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Official title: To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among public safety telecommunicators.
Introduced April 17, 2025 by Robin L. Kelly · Last progress April 17, 2025
Requires the federal health official to create and update evidence-based best practices and educational resources focused on identifying, preventing, and treating PTSD and related disorders in 9-1-1/public safety telecommunicators, and establishes a new HHS grant program to help emergency communications centers and eligible organizations build or expand behavioral health and peer-support programs for those workers. The bill defines who counts as an emergency communications center and a public safety telecommunicator (by SOC occupation code) and directs consultation with experts and national nonprofits when developing materials, but it does not specify funding amounts or deadlines for grants.