The SMART Community Policing Act amends existing federal law to expand how police departments can use federal grant funding from the COPS program to address mental health crises. The bill authorizes funding for three new types of programs: mobile crisis teams staffed with mental health professionals and paramedics who respond to 911 calls and community requests, co-responder programs pairing law enforcement with behavioral health clinicians, and case management teams that follow up with individuals in crisis to connect them with services and reduce repeat emergency calls. These programs are designed to de-escalate situations involving mental illness, substance abuse, homelessness, and poverty while connecting affected individuals with treatment and community resources rather than relying solely on traditional police responses. The legislation does not specify new funding amounts or timelines, as it modifies the authorized uses of existing COPS grants that states and local jurisdictions already receive.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.