119th (2025–2027)
H.R. 8493
This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a working group that will study peer support programs designed specifically for law enforcement officers and first responders. The working group will review best practices for these mental health programs and submit recommendations to Congress within one year on how to improve behavioral health outcomes, reduce suicide risk, and address substance use among first responders. The group will include representatives from federal, state, and local agencies, actual law enforcement officers and first responders with peer support experience, and nonprofit organizations serving these communities. The bill requires the working group to identify minimum standards for effective peer support programs and examine how they should integrate with broader mental health services, as well as explore opportunities for federal grants and technical assistance. The working group will disband one year after submitting its findings unless the Secretary determines there is a need to reconvene it, and the bill authorizes whatever funding is necessary to complete this work.