Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Act of 2018
Latest action (26 Jul 2018): Introduced
What this bill does
H.R. 6571, the Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Act of 2018, would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to address mental health and suicide among public safety officers. It would require creation of a "Public Safety Officer Suicide Reporting System," run mainly through the CDC, to collect data on suicide incidence among public safety officers—broken down by age, gender, state, occupation, and employment status—and to issue annual public reports with risk factors and intervention options. The bill also authorizes grants to nonprofit fire service organizations to establish peer-support behavioral health and wellness programs within local fire departments, directs the U.S. Fire Administration to create resources educating mental health professionals about fire department culture, and requires HHS to develop and update best practices for identifying, preventing, and treating PTSD in public safety officers.
The bill affects public safety officers broadly, including police, firefighters, and public safety telecommunicators, as well as federal agencies (CDC, U.S. Fire Administration, HHS), mental health professionals, and local fire departments that could receive grants or training resources.
The bill was introduced on July 26, 2018, in the 115th Congress by Rep. Ami Bera and referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and on Science, Space, and Technology. It did not receive a vote and did not become law; as with all unenacted bills, it would need to be reintroduced in a later Congress to be considered further.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Act of 2018
This bill establishes a series of programs relating to the behavioral health of public safety officers (e.g., law enforcement officers, firefighters, ambulance crew members, and 9-1-1 operators).
Common questions
- What does H.R. 6571 do?
- H.R. 6571, the Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Act of 2018, would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to address mental health and suicide among public safety officers. It would require creation of a "Public Safety Officer Suicide Reporting System," run mainly through the CDC, to collect data on suicide incidence among public safety officers—broken down by age, gender, state, occupation, and employment status—and to issue annual public reports with risk factors and intervention options. The bill also authorizes grants to nonprofit fire service organizations to establish peer-support behavioral health and wellness programs within local fire departments, directs the U.S. Fire Administration to create resources educating mental health professionals about fire department culture, and requires HHS to develop and update best practices for identifying, preventing, and treating PTSD in public safety officers. The bill affects public safety officers broadly, including police, firefighters, and public safety telecommunicators, as well as federal agencies (CDC, U.S. Fire Administration, HHS), mental health professionals, and local fire departments that could receive grants or training resources. The bill was introduced on July 26, 2018, in the 115th Congress by Rep. Ami Bera and referred to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and on Science, Space, and Technology. It did not receive a vote and did not become law; as with all unenacted bills, it would need to be reintroduced in a later Congress to be considered further.
- Has H.R. 6571 become law?
- Not yet. As of 26 Jul 2018, H.R. 6571 is introduced.
- Who sponsored H.R. 6571?
- H.R. 6571 was sponsored by Rep. Ami Bera [D-CA6] (Democrat-CA), with 3 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on H.R. 6571?
- Introduced (26 Jul 2018).
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