Bill · S. 4514· Senate(119-S-4514)
Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 5/13/2026
- Last activity
- 5/13/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Tammy Duckworth
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act of 2026 aims to provide funding for mental health screenings and care referrals for corrections officers. The Attorney General will establish a grant program for States and localities to implement these screenings at eligible detention centers. The bill also directs the Bureau of Prisons to develop its own mental health survey and outreach programs for its officers. An Advisory Board will be created to manage the grant program and provide technical assistance. This legislation provides for multi-year funding starting at $50 million in fiscal year 2026.
Yes· 3 of 4
Does this make mental health care easier to get?+7
The bill funds mental health screenings and establishes outreach teams to refer corrections officers to care providers.
Would union members be better off under this?+5
The bill provides essential mental health protections and safe harbor provisions for correctional officers.
Would business owners be better off under this?+1
The bill may improve the stability and efficiency of the correctional workforce.
The opposite
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-1
The bill increases federal spending by authorizing hundreds of millions of dollars in grants and administrative costs.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Mental Health Support for Officers: The bill provides for the implementation of mental health screenings to identify illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression (Section 3(d)(1)(C)).
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Access to Professional Care: Through the establishment of outreach teams, the bill ensures that officers can be referred to local mental health care providers for assessments, outreach, or admission to mental health care centers (Section 3(d)(2)(A)).
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Employment Protections: The act includes a safe harbor provision to ensure that officers experiencing mental health issues do not suffer adverse employment outcomes, such as fitness for duty evaluations, while seeking and receiving treatment (Section 6(1)).
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Coordination of Care: The requirement for a mental health liaison ensures coordination between detention centers, mental health providers, and the Advisory Board (Section 3(b)(2)(B)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Compliance Burdens for States and Localities: States or localities seeking grants must submit applications to the Attorney General and include specific plans and assurances, such as hiring a mental health liaison (Section 3(b)).
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Risk of Reduced Funding: If a State or locality is found to be non-compliant with the requirements of the grant program, the Advisory Board has the authority to mandate changes or reduce their funding (Section 5(a)(2)(H)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Healthcare
- Improves Mental Health Access+7
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Union Workers+5Good For Business Owners+1
- Economy And Finance
- Reduces Government Spending-1
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+1
- 5/13/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in Senate