Sponsor
Jason Crow
Representative · D-CO
Representative · D-CO
The bill expands and funds non‑police crisis response capacity and police training to reduce arrests and improve care, but its effectiveness hinges on provider capacity, program design, and sustained funding, with risks of persistent criminalization and local fiscal strain if poorly implemented.
People experiencing mental-health or substance-use crises will have increased access to specialized, non-law-enforcement responders (mobile crisis teams and co-responder programs), improving immediate stabilization, reducing injuries and arrests, and connecting them to care.
Law enforcement officers and agencies will receive clearer guidance, training, and resources to de-escalate crises and coordinate with community services, which can reduce arrests, improve public safety, and build community trust.
Local governments and agencies can access federal COPS grant funding to hire clinicians, paramedics, case managers, and purchase mobile units—expanding service capacity without immediately increasing local budgets.
People in crisis—especially racial and ethnic minorities and people with disabilities—could still be criminalized or face uneven, policing-led interventions if programs are poorly implemented, perpetuating harm and disparities.
Programs that pair clinicians with police or retain armed law-enforcement presence risk continued criminal-justice involvement for people in crisis rather than truly non-coercive clinical responses.
Shortages of behavioral-health providers and inadequate training or program design could limit effectiveness, misassign clinical duties to officers, and fail to reduce use of force or improve outcomes.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Adds mobile crisis teams, co-responder programs, and case management/outreach teams to the list of activities allowable under the COPS community policing grant program.
Official title: To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide funding for innovations in community policing, mental health care, and community safety, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 19, 2026 by Jason Crow · Last progress May 19, 2026
Expands the COPS public safety and community policing grant program to allow funds to create or grow mobile crisis teams, co-responder programs pairing officers with behavioral health clinicians or paramedics, and case management/outreach teams to follow up with people in crisis. The goal is to de‑escalate nonviolent encounters linked to mental health, substance use, homelessness, or poverty and to connect individuals with appropriate services instead of repeated emergency or enforcement responses. Grants may be used to hire clinicians, paramedics, case managers, and additional officers as needed; to purchase or operate mobile units; and to provide training to law enforcement partners. The change simply adds these permissible uses to the existing COPS grant statute, enabling local agencies and community organizations to seek federal support for these programs.