Bill > HR5706

This bill establishes a competitive grant program administered by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to help local governments, emergency services agencies, behavioral health clinics, and nonprofit organizations develop or expand behavioral health crisis response programs that do not primarily rely on law enforcement. The grants can be used to recruit and train behavioral health professionals and paramedics, integrate co-response teams into 911 and 988 dispatch systems, provide community education about alternative crisis response methods, develop protocols for emergency medical services to transport individuals to mental health facilities, and establish clinician-led mobile crisis teams as primary responders to behavioral health emergencies. Eligible entities must submit annual reports on response outcomes, diversion rates, and community feedback, and priority will be given to jurisdictions without existing non-law enforcement crisis response programs. The bill explicitly does not require changes to emergency detention laws and does not authorize involuntary transport beyond what is permitted by state law. The program is authorized for funding from fiscal years 2026 through 2030, with appropriations to be determined as necessary.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5706/all-info