March 24, 2025
Mrs. Miller-Meeks (for herself and Mr. Bacon) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
To provide funding to the Bureau of Prisons, States, and localities to carry out mental health screenings and provide referrals to mental health care providers for certain corrections officers.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Grant program
(a) Establishment
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General is authorized establish a grant program to make grants to States and units of local government to implement and administer mental health screenings to corrections officers at eligible detention centers and refer such individuals to mental health care providers, as applicable.
(b) Application
An eligible entity seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the Attorney General an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Attorney General may reasonably require, including—
(1)
a description of and a plan for the project under subsection (d) that the entity will carry out; and
(2)
an assurance that the entity will hire a mental health liaison staff member to coordinate among eligible detention centers, mental health providers, the Advisory Board, and the outreach team.
(c) Eligible projects
A grant under this section may only be used for the following:
(1)
To develop and administer a brief mental health screening survey as required under subsection (d).
(2)
To develop any technology necessary for an eligible detention center to provide the survey under paragraph (1).
(3)
To hire any staff necessary for an eligible detention center to provide the survey under paragraph (1).
(4)
To establish an outreach team pursuant to subsection (e) to refer a correctional officer, if their responses to the survey indicate severe mental illness, to a local mental health care provider for further assessment and outreach, admission (when necessary), and support for that officer in re-establishing ties with a mental health provider.
(5)
To pay the salary or overtime pay of an outreach team as established pursuant to subsection (e), including providing direct funding to an eligible detention center to compensate staff members.
(d) Brief mental health screening survey
A mental health screening survey developed and administered pursuant to a grant under this section shall—
(1)
be composed of 5 to 10 questions;
(2)
be based on the questions and content of the Employee Assistance Program standard mental health screening or the Bureau of Prisons initial mental health screening standard;
(3)
seek to identify severe mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression;
(4)
ask individuals about the symptoms of severe mental illness they may be experiencing or have experienced and any prior use of mental health-related medications or inpatient care;
(5)
identify the individual’s place of residence;
(6)
be administered by a trained staff member at the eligible detention center to all corrections officers; and
(7)
be anonymous and confidential.
(e) Outreach team
(1) In general
A referral to a mental health care provider made pursuant to subsection (d) shall be made by a mental health outreach team that is composed of—
(A)
mental health care professionals and clinicians from mental health care centers local to the eligible detention center;
(B)
staff from the eligible detention center, when applicable; and
(C)
a mental health liaison staff member who shall oversee the outreach team.
(2) Alert
If an individual has been determined to need a referral to a mental health care provider, the mental health outreach team shall be notified immediately by eligible detention center staff and informed, when applicable.
Sec. 3. Bureau of prisons
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall—
(1)
establish a program to develop and administer mental heath surveys (as described in subsection (d) of section 2) to corrections officers of the Bureau of Prisons, and establish and maintain an outreach team (as described in subsection (e) of section 2) to refer such corrections officer to mental health care providers, as appropriate; and
(2)
submit to the Advisory Board a plan for the implementation of the program described in paragraph (1).
Sec. 4. Advisory board on program implementation
(a) Establishment
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish an Advisory Board to manage and administer the grant program under section 2, with the responsibility for the following:
(1)
Evaluating and approving the plans submitted by a State or locality as required under section 2 and ensuring that grant funding is used as specified under section 2.
(2)
Monitoring plans submitted by the Bureau of Prisons and advise the Attorney General on compliance to ensure that funding to the Bureau of Prisons is used as specified under section 3.
(3)
Providing technical assistance to a State or locality to help with the implementation and administration of mental health screening and referral programs.
(4)
Creating a working group of mental health care providers, jail and prison administrators, law enforcement officials, and operators of existing mental health screening and referral programs to share best practices on how to create and implement mental health screening and referral programs that have the largest impact on reducing crime rates and improving employment and wage rates for individuals released from prison or jail.
(5)
Working in coordination with mental health outreach teams as established under section 2, to ensure that the grant program under such section is operating as required.
(6)
Determining if a grant awarded by the Program is not meeting the requirements of the Program and mandate necessary changes and reducing funding if such changes are not made.
(7)
Developing a self-reporting process for mental health assistance that protects the anonymity and privacy of the officer and identifies and neutralizes any impediment to self-reporting, including loss of job and benefits.
(b) Technical assistance
The Advisory Board shall provide technical assistance to the Bureau of Prisons, States, and localities in setting up and administering the Program and shall identify evidence-backed models for the administration of mental health screening and referral programs that the Bureau of Prisons, States, and localities can look to when designing their own programs.
(c) Membership
(1) In general
The Attorney General shall appoint members to serve on the Advisory Board established under subsection (a) who have expertise in—
(A)
designing and administering mental health screenings and providing referrals for corrections officers;
(B)
mental health care within prisons or jails; or
(C)
program evaluation using rigorous experimental and quasi-experimental statistical methods.
(2) Number of members
The Attorney General shall appoint as many members to the Advisory Board established under subsection (a) as the Attorney General determines appropriate.
Sec. 5. Funding
(a) Authorization
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General to carry out this Act—
(1)
$50,000,000 for fiscal year 2026;
(2)
$55,000,000 for fiscal year 2027;
(3)
$60,000,000 for fiscal year 2028;
(4)
$65,000,000 for fiscal year 2029; and
(5)
$70,000,000 for fiscal year 2030.
(b) Distribution of funds
Of the amounts made available under subsection (a), the Attorney General shall use—
(1)
90 percent of such amount for a grant program under section 2 and the purposes described under section 3, as applicable, of which—
(A)
20 percent shall be for the Bureau of Prisons to carry out the requirements under section 3;
(B)
20 percent shall be for grants to States under section 2; and
(C)
50 percent shall be for grants to units of local government under section 2;
(2)
5 percent of such amount for the Advisory Board to carry out evaluation activities under section 4(a); and
(3)
5 percent of such amount for the Advisory Board to carry out the activities under section 4(b).
Sec. 6. Definitions
In this Act:
(1) State
The term State means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
(2) Locality
The term locality means any city, county, township, town, borough, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a State.
(3) Mental health care provider
The term mental health care provider means a fully-licensed professional or group of professionals who diagnose mental health conditions and provide mental health treatment, and who operate near to the relevant jail or prison. Mental health care providers may provide services at hospitals or at private clinics.
(4) Mental health care center
The term mental health care center means any facility where one or more mental health care providers offer mental health services, such as a hospital or private clinic.
(5) Jail or prison administrator
The term jail or prison administrator means any individual who has been appointed to a supervisory position in a Federal, State, or local incarceration facility by the Federal Government, a State, or a locality.
(6) Law enforcement official
The term law enforcement official means any officer of an entity administered by a locality, State, or the Federal Government that exists primarily to prevent and detect crime and enforce criminal laws.
(7) Corrections officers
The term corrections officer means any officer or employee of any prison, jail, or other detention facility, operated by, or under contract to, a Federal governmental agency, whose job responsibilities include providing for the custody of incarcerated individuals.
(8) Eligible detention center
The term eligible detention center means any prison or jail administered by the Bureau of Prisons or a State or any jail administered by a State or locality.
(9) Severe mental illness
The term severe mental illness means one or more mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders that results in serious functional impairment and substantially interferes with or limits major life activities.