Reschenthaler, Dean Introduce Bill to Support Law Enforcement Officers, Improve Mental Health Care
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In an effort to improve mental health treatment and support for our nation's law enforcement officers, Representatives Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14) and Madeleine Dean (PA-04) recently introduced H.R. 2368, the Supporting and Treating Officers in Crisis (STOIC) Act. This bipartisan legislation will reform and expand an existing grant program to better address the mental health and support needs of law enforcement officers, especially as it relates to suicide prevention.
"Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities," said Reschenthaler. "These men and women routinely endure extremely stressful situations, yet the federal government does little to address the consequences of this taxing work. This stress can cause high blood pressure and post-traumatic stress disorder, and has resulted in a suicide rate that is 50 percent higher than the national average. I am proud to work with Congresswoman Dean to fix this wrong and support police officers and their families."
"Our law enforcement officers do extraordinarily stressful work – and too often, that stress leads to serious health consequences," Dean stated. "Even more troublingly, law enforcement officers are at significantly elevated risk of suicide. It's time to embrace our law enforcement community by offering meaningful resources for suicide prevention and family support. Our officers deserve it."
According to the National Study of Police Suicides, officers are 2.5 times more likely to die from suicides than from homicides. This sobering statistic means that law enforcement officers are more likely to die from suicide than in the line of duty.
The STOIC Act would address this problem by allowing family-services grant program funding to be used to establish suicide prevention programs and support officers suffering stress and mental health issues. The program would be authorized at $7.5 million annually for Fiscal Years 2020 through 2024.
The legislation is identical to S. 998, introduced by Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and has been endorsed by the National Sheriff's Association, Major County Sheriffs of America, Fraternal Order of Police, National Association of Police Organizations, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, National District Attorney's Association, and the Sergeants Benevolent Association.
"It is time for us to take care of those who take care of us," said Reschenthaler. "I hope my colleagues in the House will prioritize the mental health of our law enforcement officers by supporting the STOIC Act."