HouseH.R. 10712119th Congress
First Responder Behavioral Health Access Act
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10712 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10712
To amend the Public Health Service Act to include certain emergency
response providers as eligible institutions under mental and behavioral
health education and training grant program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 1, 2026
Mr. Subramanyam (for himself and Mr. Rutherford) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to include certain emergency
response providers as eligible institutions under mental and behavioral
health education and training grant program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``First Responder Behavioral Health
Access Act''.
SEC. 2. INCLUDING CERTAIN EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROVIDERS AS ELIGIBLE
INSTITUTIONS UNDER MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EDUCATION
AND TRAINING PROGRAM.
Section 756 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294e-1) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph
(1), by striking ``of the students'' and inserting ``of the
students, and in the case of an eligible institution that is a
qualified emergency response provider, to support the field
placement and recruitment of clinicians or behavioral health
service providers in qualified emergency response providers,'';
(2) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (g); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible
institution' includes a qualified emergency response provider.
``(2) Public safety telecommunicator.--The term `public
safety telecommunicator' means a public safety telecommunicator
as designated in detailed occupation 43-5031 in the Standard
Occupational Classification Manual of the Office of Management
and Budget issued in 2018, or any successor designation.
``(3) Qualified emergency response provider.--The term
`qualified emergency response provider' means--
``(A) an emergency response provider (as defined in
section 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6
U.S.C. 101)); and
``(B) a public safety telecommunicator.''.
SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM SUPPORTING BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OF FIRST RESPONDERS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in
this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall establish a 3-year
pilot program under which the Secretary will award grants to eligible
entities to assist qualified emergency response providers in supporting
the behavioral health needs of qualified emergency response providers.
(b) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under this
section may use funds received through the grant for one of the
following purposes:
(1) Embedding clinicians, who are licensed or certified by
the respective jurisdictions in which such clinicians practice,
with qualified emergency response providers for purposes of
providing confidential counseling services, in accordance with
confidentiality requirements of such respective jurisdiction.
(2) Establishing a peer-to-peer program at a qualified
emergency response provider under which counseling services
described in paragraph (1) are provided, including in response
to a behavioral health incident and at periodic intervals after
such an incident.
(3) Overseeing the operation of, or otherwise supporting,
such a program.
(4) Assisting in providing training to peer-to-peer
behavioral health care providers at a qualified emergency
response provider.
(c) Application.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under this
section shall submit an application at such time and in such manner as
the Secretary may require. Such application shall include--
(1) a description of how the entity plans to use funds
received through the grant;
(2) a description of any behavioral health care programs
the entity operates as of the date of the submission of the
application, including any peer-to-peer programs; and
(3) the entity's assessment of how the grant funds could be
used to improve behavioral health outcomes in the area served
by such entity.
(d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary
shall give priority to eligible entities seeking to assist qualified
emergency response providers that are under-resourced with respect to
behavioral health care and peer-to-peer programs.
(e) Geographic Distribution.--In awarding grants under this
section, the Secretary shall ensure an equitable geographic
distribution of funds.
(f) Report.--Not later than one year after the date on which the
pilot program under this section concludes, the Secretary shall submit
to Congress a report on such program. Such report shall address--
(1) whether and how the program improved behavioral health
outcomes for qualified emergency response providers;
(2) how many peer-to-peer contacts were made under the
program; and
(3) how many peer-to-peer behavior health care providers
were trained under the program.
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a
State, local, county, or regional public health department, a
local, county, or regional behavioral health agency, or a non-
profit organization with experience servicing first responders
with respect to improving behavioral health outcomes.
(2) Public safety telecommunicator.--The term ``public
safety telecommunicator'' means a public safety
telecommunicator as designated in detailed occupation 43-5031
in the Standard Occupational Classification Manual of the
Office of Management and Budget issued in 2018, or any
successor designation.
(3) Qualified emergency response provider.--The term
``qualified emergency response provider'' means--
(A) an emergency response provider (as defined in
section 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6
U.S.C. 101)); and
(B) a public safety telecommunicator.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this Act $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2027 through 2029.
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