What does Preamble of HERO Act do?

This bill aims to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among public safety officers. The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on March 6, 2025.

What does SHORT TITLE. of HERO Act do?

This Act is formally titled the "Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Act" or the "HERO Act".

What does DATA SYSTEM TO CAPTURE NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER SUICIDE of HERO Act do?

This section amends the Public Health Service Act to establish a Public Safety Officer Suicide Reporting System. The system will collect data on suicide incidence among public safety officers and facilitate the study of interventions to reduce suicide. Data collection will include the total number of suicides, suicide rates disaggregated by age, gender, state, occupation, and status (volunteer, paid-on-call, career, active, or retired). The Secretary must consult with non-Federal experts during the system's development to ensure data collection is safe, sensitive, anonymous, and effective. The Secretary must ensure privacy and security protections are followed to protect the confidentiality and anonymity of suicide victims and their families. The Secretary is required to submit an annual report to Congress, beginning two years after enactment, detailing suicide incidence, characteristics, and recommendations. The report will be publicly available on the CDC website. The term 'public safety officer' is defined to include those as defined in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 and public safety telecommunicators. Information in the system cannot be used to deny or rescind life insurance payments or other benefits to survivors.

What does PEER-SUPPORT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS WITHIN of HERO Act do?

This section amends the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program for peer-support behavioral health and wellness programs within fire departments and emergency medical service agencies. The Secretary is authorized to award grants to eligible entities for establishing or enhancing these programs. Peer-support programs must utilize career and volunteer members as peer counselors and provide them with training. Eligible entities are defined as nonprofit organizations with expertise in the health and life safety of fire and emergency medical service agency members. The term 'member' is defined for both emergency medical services agencies and fire departments, encompassing employees regardless of rank or compensation status.

What does HEALTH CARE PROVIDER BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS. of HERO Act do?

This section amends the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program for behavioral health and wellness programs for health care providers. The Secretary of Health and Human Services may award grants to eligible entities to establish or enhance these programs. Funded programs must provide confidential support services, including counseling and wellness seminars, to help providers handle stressful or traumatic events. Programs must also provide training to health care providers to serve as peer counselors. Eligible entities include hospitals, Federally-qualified health centers, and other health care facilities. The program allows for the purchase of training materials and dissemination of information.

What does DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES FOR EDUCATING MENTAL HEALTH of HERO Act do?

This section directs the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to develop and publicly release resources. These resources are intended to educate mental health professionals about the culture of fire departments and emergency medical services agencies. The resources will cover stressors experienced by firefighters and emergency medical services personnel, challenges faced by retirees, and evidence-based therapies for common mental health issues. Consultation with national fire and emergency medical services organizations is required during the resource development process. The section defines key terms including 'chief officer,' 'emergency medical services personnel,' and 'firefighter'.

What does BEST PRACTICES AND OTHER RESOURCES FOR ADDRESSING POSTTRAUMATIC of HERO Act do?

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and assemble evidence-based best practices and resources for addressing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and co-occurring disorders in public safety officers. The Secretary must reassess and update these best practices and resources as needed, considering suicide prevention options identified in annual reports. The Secretary is required to consult with public health experts, mental health experts, clinicians, and relevant national public safety organizations during development and updates. The developed resources will be made available to federal, state, and local fire, law enforcement, and emergency medical services agencies. The Secretary will collaborate with federal departments and agencies to incorporate PTSD education and training into existing programs for public safety officers. The term 'public safety officer' includes those defined in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 and public safety telecommunicators as defined by the Standard Occupational Classification Manual.

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HERO Act

Last updated: 3/6/2025 · Introduced: 3/6/2025

Author: Ami Bera (D-CA)

TL;DR (AI)

This bill establishes a national system to collect and analyze data on suicide rates among public safety officers, ensuring privacy protections and informing future prevention efforts.
The legislation creates a grant program to fund peer-support behavioral health and wellness programs within fire departments and emergency medical service agencies, utilizing both career and volunteer members.
The bill authorizes grants to support behavioral health and wellness programs for healthcare providers, offering confidential counseling and training to address stressful or traumatic events.
It directs the development of educational resources for mental health professionals to better understand the unique stressors and culture within fire departments and emergency medical services agencies.
The bill mandates the creation and regular updating of evidence-based best practices and resources for addressing PTSD and co-occurring disorders in public safety officers, incorporating suicide prevention strategies.

119th Congressin committeeOfficial page

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Other Sections

Includes provisions on preamble, short title., and 5 more.

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