{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/brooks-young-bicameral-measure-to-improve-mental-health-care-for-law-0", "Brooks, Young bicameral measure to improve mental health care for law enforcement advances", "2017-11-30", "2017", "2017-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bipartisan, bicameral legislation introduced by Republicans from Indiana U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks and Sen. Todd Young to support law enforcement mental health programs moved a step closer to becoming law with unanimous passage in the House this week.\n\u201cOur police officers face a culture of silence when it comes to mental health challenges, and they need better access to mental health services to help them cope with unforgettable situations,\u201d Brooks said.\nThe Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act of 2017, S. 867, unanimously passed the Senate in May. Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) joined Sen. Young in introducing the measure. The House on Tuesday passed its companion bill, H.R. 2228, which Rep. Brooks introduced along with Reps. Val Demings (D-FL), Doug Collins (R-GA), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) and Dave Reichert (R-WA). The House-passed version was slightly different and so the bill now moves back to the Senate for consideration.\n\u201cThis bipartisan legislation is focused on supporting the mental health and wellness of the law enforcement officers who go to work every day protecting our families and communities,\u201d Young and Donnelly said in a joint statement.\nThe bill would offer grants for law enforcement peer mentoring pilot programs, direct the U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to develop mental health provider resources specifically geared toward law enforcement mental health challenges, and study effectiveness of annual mental health checkups and crisis support hotlines.\nPassage of the bill \u201censures that we are one step closer to supporting the men and women in law enforcement with the resources they need to stay healthy while selflessly serving our communities and keeping us safe,\u201d Brooks said.\nYoung and Donnelly added, \u201cWe thank Congresswomen Brooks and Demings for joining us in this effort and laud the House of Representatives for taking this step. We will continue working together to get this bill to the president\u2019s desk to be signed into law.\u201d\nLaw enforcement organizations have voiced their support of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act.\nFraternal Order of Police (FOP) National President Chuck Canterbury said, \u201cThis bill came to be when Senators Joe Donnelly and Todd Young reached out to us to see what more could be done to help law enforcement officers struggling to cope with the stresses of their profession. This legislation is the first step in making sure we do everything we can to improve the mental wellness of our nation\u2019s law enforcement officers.\u201d\nIn addition to the FOP, the legislation is endorsed by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the National Association of Police Officers, the Major County Sheriffs of America, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, and other organizations.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/brooks-young-bicameral-measure-to-improve-mental-health-care-for-law-0"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6439137980341911, "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"}