Bill > HR1902

This bill, known as the HERO Act (Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Act), aims to improve mental health support and understanding for public safety officers by establishing several key initiatives. The bill creates a national data system through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to collect comprehensive information about suicide rates among public safety officers, including details like age, gender, occupation, and employment status, while ensuring data privacy and anonymity. It authorizes grants to develop peer-support behavioral health and wellness programs for fire departments and emergency medical service agencies, enabling career and volunteer members to serve as peer counselors and receive specialized training. The bill also establishes similar wellness programs for healthcare providers, offering confidential support services and counseling for professionals dealing with stressful or traumatic work-related events. Additionally, the legislation requires the United States Fire Administration to develop educational resources to help mental health professionals better understand the unique challenges and stressors faced by firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and other public safety workers. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is tasked with developing evidence-based best practices for identifying, preventing, and treating post-traumatic stress disorder among public safety officers, and ensuring these resources are made available to relevant agencies and incorporated into federal training programs. Critically, the bill prohibits using suicide-related information to deny life insurance or other benefits to survivors.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1902/all-info