H.R. 2502 authorizes the Department of Justice to award grants to state, local, and tribal law enforcement and corrections agencies to provide behavioral health crisis response training for their officers. The bill addresses a significant public safety concern: approximately one in four people killed by police suffer from mental health problems, and officers regularly respond to calls involving individuals with mental illness or substance use disorders. Grants can cover the cost of training programs and associated travel expenses for officers, with programs required to include de-escalation techniques, mental health education, and input from healthcare professionals and people with lived experience of mental illness. The legislation reserves up to $10 million annually from existing appropriations for this grant program, with no more than 3 percent of grant funds used for administrative costs, and requires recipients to submit annual reports on the number of officers trained and activities completed.
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