Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) in introducing bipartisan legislation to help train law enforcement officials and first responders when responding to incidents that involve individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
“First responders answer the call for help from people in crisis situations on a daily basis—including many who are suffering from traumatic brain injuries or PTSD. By equipping law enforcement with special training, we can better support those who are suffering, including our brave veterans,” said Kennedy.
“It’s important that our police and all first responders are empowered with the resources they need to address a variety of emergencies, including incidents that involve people with traumatic brain injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder. Our legislation would provide departments with crisis intervention tools that can help de-escalate situations and improve outcomes for everyone involved,” Grassley said.
“Improved training for law enforcement officers to handle cases of post-traumatic stress or head trauma will improve public safety, support mental health, and reduce the devastation of severe brain injuries,” said Ossoff.
The bipartisan TBI and PTSD Law Enforcement Training Act would improve training for law enforcement by boosting resources for the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program to develop and implement the trainings. Many military veterans suffer from PTSD related to their service, and the bill would require the attorney general to develop best practices on techniques to interact with people who have traumatic brain injury or PTSD.
The bill would also require new trainings be included in the Police Mental Health Collaboration Kit, a no-cost training tool that provides resources for law enforcement agencies to effectively respond to calls for service.
Text of the bill is available here.