October 8, 2025
Mrs. Watson Coleman (for herself, Ms. Ansari, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Goldman of New York, Ms. Norton, Ms. Salinas, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Quigley, and Ms. Garcia of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
To direct the Attorney General to establish a grant to support communities transitioning to health-centered responses for mental health-related emergencies.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Mental Health Crisis Response Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Grant program for crisis response alternatives
(a) Establishment
Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General, in partnership with the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall establish a grant program, to award, on a competitive basis, grants to eligible jurisdictions for the purposes of implementing or expanding health-centered crisis response strategies for individuals experiencing behavioral health emergencies.
(b) Eligible jurisdictions
A jurisdiction shall be eligible for a grant under subsection (a) if the State, Tribal, or local government manages emergency services in response to any incident, including law enforcement and emergency medical services.
(c) Application
An eligible jurisdiction seeking a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Attorney General at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Attorney General may reasonably require.
(d) Use of funds
A grant awarded under subsection (a) may be used by an eligible jurisdiction to:
(1)
Embed mental health professionals into 911 dispatch and call triage systems.
(2)
Develop alternative 911 call routing to 988 or other mental health or substance abuse crisis hotline service.
(3)
Form partnerships between State or local emergency services and State or local 911 dispatch centers to ensure a streamlined handoff without requiring the caller to hangup and dial 988 or other mental health or substance abuse crisis hotline service.
(e) Rule of construction
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to—
(1)
require a State, Tribe, or local government to remove law enforcement from an emergency response model; or
(2)
preempt a State law regarding involuntary psychiatric holds, involuntary treatment, or any emergency authority that would hinder public safety.
(f) Reporting requirement
An eligible jurisdiction awarded a grant under this section shall submit an annual report on—
(1)
the amount of time it takes for a response to an incident;
(2)
use of force by law enforcement or any other individual responding to an incident where an individual requires assistance;
(3)
diversion rates; and
(4)
any other information requested by the Attorney General or Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use.
(g) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out this section.