{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=630", "Reps. Balint, Tokuda, Fitzpatrick, LaMalfa, Tran, Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Increase Access to Mental Health Care Services for First Responders", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Yesterday, U.S. Representative Becca Balint (VT-AL), joined by colleagues Jill Tokuda (D-HI-02), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-01), and Derek Tran (D-CA-45), introduced legislation to increase access to specialized mental health, substance abuse, and crisis counseling services for first responders.\n\nThe Crisis Assistance and Resources in Emergencies (CARE) for First Responders Act aims to strengthen resources and support systems for the individuals who are often first on the scene during emergencies. Law enforcement officers, firefighters, rescue workers, 911 operators, and other emergency response personnel regularly face significant yet frequently unseen trauma and challenges as they confront disasters and assist survivors in their moments of greatest need.\n\nThe CARE for First Responders Act would prioritize the needs of first responders by:\n\nEnsuring access to FEMA counseling and mental health services after major disasters.\n\nFunding on-site and mobile support through a grant program for mental health and substance use services.\n\nExpanding an existing, confidential 24-hour hotline to provide specialized first responder support.\n\nEstablishing a peer counseling program at the Department of Health and Human Services to assist first responders and their families.\n\nDirecting the Department of Health and Human Services to research best practices for mental health care and suicide prevention for first responders.\n\n\u201cBecause of the difficult work they do on the frontlines, Vermont\u2019s first responders are facing serious mental health challenges,\u201d said Rep. Balint. \u201cI\u2019m proud to join Rep. Tokuda once again in fighting to ensure that our emergency personnel, firefighters, 911 dispatchers, and law enforcement officers have access to the mental health resources they deserve. Our first responders shouldn\u2019t have to shoulder the weight of their jobs alone.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur first responders go above and beyond, carrying the weight of trauma that no one should have to bear alone. After the devastating fires on Maui two years ago, I saw firsthand the toll that disasters can take on first responders and their families,\u201d said Rep. Tokuda. \u201cI\u2019m proud once again to introduce the CARE for First Responders Act to ensure our frontliners who protect our communities have the specialized health support they desperately need and deserve. I\u2019m grateful to my Republican and Democratic colleagues for their partnership in this effort because crises don\u2019t care about politics, and neither should we when it comes to supporting our first responders.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve met too many local firefighters, paramedics, police officers, and telecommunicators who carry the heaviest parts of this job by themselves, not because they want to, but because the support isn\u2019t there when the shift ends. The CARE for First Responders Act changes that: true 24/7 confidential crisis care, tailored mental-health services during major disasters, and peer counselors who have lived the same calls. No one who saves lives should ever feel like they have to save their own alone,\u201d said Rep. Fitzpatrick, co-chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force.\n\n\u201cFirst responders, medical personnel, and wildland firefighters carry an incredibly heavy burden,\u201d said Rep. LaMalfa. \u201cThey run toward danger when the rest of us run away, and the toll it takes on their mental and emotional health is real. Too often, getting the support they need is complicated or delayed. The CARE for First Responders Act will hopefully relieve some of that burden and let our first responders know that their work is not unnoticed or unappreciated.\u201d\n\n\u201cFrom fighting crime to managing natural disaster response, California\u2019s first responders are on the front lines of keeping our community safe. This work is essential, but it also poses unique burdens on those who protect us day-in and day-out. First responders face serious mental health risks but often lack access to specialized treatment plans that properly manage their needs. I\u2019m proud to co-lead this bipartisan legislation to provide our first responders with the mental health support they deserve,\u201d said Rep. Tran.\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), APCO International, and the National Association for Rural Mental Health.\n\nFull text of the bill can be viewed here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=630"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5658270567655563, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}