S.Amdt. 6444

The amendment, titled the Fighting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Act of 2026, aims to add a new section to the bill focused on addressing mental health needs for public safety personnel.

The purpose of this amendment is to have the Attorney General submit a report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. This report would focus on the following:

• Proposed Programs: Creating at least one program through the Department of Justice to provide public safety officers and public safety telecommunicators with evidence-based trauma-informed care, peer support, counselor services, and family supports to treat or prevent acute stress disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Confidentiality: Drafting grant conditions to ensure the confidentiality of those seeking care.
• Administration: Determining how to efficiently run these programs across State, Tribal, territorial, and local levels using telehealth and in-person options.
• Legislation and Funding: Providing the necessary legislative language and an estimate of the annual money needed to run the programs.

The amendment finds that public safety officers, including 911 dispatchers, firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical technicians, face high-stress situations that put them at risk for behavioral health conditions and suicide. It notes that individual departments often lack the resources or access to the mental health experts required for state-of-the-art treatment.