Expanding Peace Officers Mental Health Grant Program

The act expands the peace officers mental health support grant program (grant program) to include law enforcement agencies, behavioral health entities, county or district public health agencies, community-based social service and behavioral health providers, peace officer organizations, and public safety agencies as eligible entities. The act renames the grant program the peace officers behavioral health support and community partnerships grant program to reflect these changes.

The act also expands the purposes for which grant money can be used to include co-responder community responses and community-based alternative responses. Public safety agencies, law enforcement agencies, and peace officer organizations that apply for a grant are encouraged to do so in collaboration with mental health centers and other community-based social service or behavioral health providers in their region. The act specifies which funding opportunities each entity may apply for.

The act appropriates $1,000,000 to the department of local affairs for the grant program.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)