Last week, a bill backed by Senator Jon Ossoff and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle became law. The measure addresses an ongoing public matter: funding law enforcement and mental health services.
Sens. Ossoff and Chuck Grassley (R-IA)’s bipartisan law will fund trainings for first responders, crisis intervention teams, mental health courts, and other programs that help law enforcement assist individuals experiencing mental illness.
The law will also fund new trainings to help first responders better recognize and assist individuals suffering from PTSD or traumatic brain injury (TBI), which contribute to approximately three million emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and deaths each year.
“I am pleased the President has signed into law my legislation funding local law enforcement and mental health care,” Sen. Ossoff said. “Georgia communities deserve and demand safety, and my bill — now law — will make Georgia a safer place to live.”
“I’m glad our bipartisan TBI and PTSD Law Enforcement Training Act has been signed into law. It will help provide training to law enforcement on how to recognize symptoms of traumatic brain injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder so they can better assist people with these conditions, which in turn will help improve public safety. I’m grateful for police and all first responders who are willing to confront unpredictable emergency situations in service to their communities,” Sen. Grassley said.
Sens. Ossoff and Grassley’s bipartisan law is widely supported by law enforcement and mental health organizations, including:
- The Georgia Fraternal Order of Police (Georgia FOP)
- Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)
- Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA)
- Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA)
- Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA)
- National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO)
- National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC)
- National Sheriffs Association (NSA)
- Sergeants Benevolent Association NYPD (SBA)
- National District Attorneys Association (NDAA)
- National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA)
- Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA)
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Click here to read the TBI and PTSD Law Enforcement Training Act.
