Bill · S. 666· Senate(119-S-666)
First Responders Wellness Act
- Introduced
- 2/20/2025
- Last activity
- 2/20/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Kirsten Gillibrand
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The First Responders Wellness Act aims to increase access to mental health, substance use, and counseling services for first responders and their families. It mandates the creation of a national first responders emergency hotline that provides 24/7 real-time assistance via voice and text. This hotline is intended to be staffed by specialists who understand the unique stressors of public safety work. Additionally, the bill expands crisis counseling assistance to include qualified emergency response providers during major disasters. Finally, it requires a report on establishing mobile health care delivery sites for short-term crisis services during such disasters.
Yes· 3 of 4
Does this make mental health care easier to get?+8
The bill establishes a national 24/7 emergency hotline specifically for first responders and their families to access mental health and substance use resources.
Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths?+5
The bill provides resources and referrals for substance use disorders to first responders and their households.
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?+4
The bill facilitates coordination between the first responder hotline and the existing Veterans Crisis Line.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Access to specialized support: The establishment of a national first responders emergency hotline provides 24/7 real-time, toll-free assistance through voice or text for first responders and their families (Section 2, subsection a and b).
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Expert assistance: The hotline will be staffed by specialists, such as peer specialists or mental health providers, who have specific knowledge regarding the unique working conditions, stressors, and confidentiality aspects of first responder roles (Section 2, subsection b).
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Improved crisis coordination: The bill requires coordination with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to ensure public safety personnel are appropriately referred to the specialized hotline (Section 2, subsection c).
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Disaster relief expansion: The bill expands crisis counseling assistance to include qualified emergency response providers who are responding to major disasters (Section 3).
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Mobile health services research: The Secretary is required to report on best practices for mobile health care delivery sites to provide integrated, short-term crisis services to qualified emergency response providers during major disasters (Section 4, subsection a).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
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+8Improves Opioid Crisis Response+5
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Veterans+4
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Veterans Benefits+4
- 2/20/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Josh HawleyRepublican · Missouri