Mental Health Support For Peace Officers

The bill encourages each sheriff's office and each municipal police department to adopt a policy whereby mental health professionals, to the extent practicable, provide:

• On-scene response services to support officers' handling of persons with mental health disorders; and
• Counseling services to officers.

The bill creates the peace officers mental health support grant program (grant program) in the department of local affairs (department) to provide grants of money to county sheriffs' offices and municipal police departments to help them engage mental health professionals. Each sheriff's office and each municipal police department is encouraged to apply annually for a grant from the grant program.

The bill creates the peace officers mental health support fund (fund), which consists of gifts, grants, and donations and any other money that the general assembly may appropriate or transfer to the fund. The executive director of the department, or his or her designee, may expend money from the fund for the purposes of the grant program.

The grant program repeals September 1, 2027.

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)