# Plain Language Summary: Law Enforcement Training for Mental Health Crisis Response Act of 2021

This bill creates a federal grant program that gives money to police departments and corrections agencies so their officers can receive specialized training in how to respond to people experiencing mental health crises. The bill recognizes that police officers regularly encounter people who are having mental health emergencies—whether they're experiencing suicidal thoughts, severe mental illness, or substance abuse issues—and that officers often aren't adequately trained to handle these situations safely.

The statistics behind this bill are striking. According to the findings, about one in every ten police calls involves someone with a mental illness, and roughly one in four people killed by police have a mental health condition. The bill argues that better training could protect both the public and officers themselves by teaching de-escalation techniques, helping officers recognize mental health symptoms, and connecting people to appropriate mental health resources instead of relying solely on arrest or force. The training programs would be developed with input from healthcare professionals and would cover topics like understanding mental illness, building empathy, and practical crisis intervention skills.

Under this program, the federal government would set aside up to $10 million per year to help pay for officers to attend these training programs, including covering their travel and lodging costs. Police departments and corrections agencies would apply for these grants by explaining what training program they want to use and how many officers need it. The bill includes safeguards requiring that grant money supplement rather than replace existing local funding, and limits administrative overhead to just 3 percent of each grant. Agencies receiving money would have to report back on how many officers completed training and track the results.

Law Enforcement Training for Mental Health Crisis Response Act of 2021

Kaptur, Marcy

Law Enforcement Training for Mental Health Crisis Response Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Office of Justice Programs within the Department of Justice to award grants to law enforcement and corrections agencies for behavioral health crisis response training.