Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Thursday, October 12, 2017
(INDIANAPOLIS) - Today, U.S. Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Todd Young (R-IN) welcomed news that the House companion bill to their Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act passed the Judiciary Committee in the House of Representatives. Congresswoman Susan Brooks (IN-05) introduced the bipartisan companion to Donnelly and Young’s legislation. In May, the Senate unanimously passed the bipartisan Donnelly-Young bill. It must now pass the U.S. House of Representatives before it can go to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
Donnelly and Young said, "Following today's action, we are hopeful the full House will quickly pass our legislation to improve law enforcement mental health services, so it can be signed into law. We are proud to partner with our friend Congresswoman Brooks on the bipartisan Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act, which would help ensure our officers have access to mental health services as they continue to serve and protect our communities every day."
The Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act would help law enforcement agencies establish or enhance mental health services for their officers. It would make grants available to initiate peer mentoring pilot programs, direct the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to develop resources for mental health providers based on the specific mental health challenges faced by law enforcement, and support law enforcement officers by studying the effectiveness of crisis hotlines and annual mental health checks. It would also direct the Departments of Defense (DoD), Justice, and Veterans Affairs (VA) to confer about existing DoD and VA mental health practices and services that could be adopted by law enforcement agencies.
The legislation has the support of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the National Association of Police Officers (NAPO), the Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA), the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), the Sergeants Benevolent Association, and American Psychological Association.
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.