HR 2937, the PROTECT 911 Act, creates federal resources and grants to support the mental health of 911 operators (public safety telecommunicators). It requires the Secretary to develop evidence-based best practices for preventing and treating PTSD and related disorders among these workers, and to create educational materials for mental health professionals about their unique workplace stressors. The bill also authorizes grants for states and local emergency communications centers to establish or enhance evidence-based wellness programs, including peer-support initiatives, to address job-related mental health challenges. These programs aim to improve support for 911 operators who handle emergency calls in 911 centers.
HR 3791, the EMS Counts Act, requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to revise its job classification system to properly count dual-role firefighter/EMTs and firefighter/paramedics as EMS personnel. This directly affects how national workforce data on emergency medical services is collected, correcting a current undercount that excludes these workers. The bill mandates the Secretary of Labor to add specific occupational categories ("Firefighter/EMTs" and "Firefighter/Paramedics") to the BLS system within 120 days of enactment. A report detailing this change and past efforts to improve EMS counting must be submitted to Congress within 270 days. The law aims to ensure accurate data for federal agencies to better address EMS workforce needs during emergencies.
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Public Safety
The Invest to Protect Act of 2025 establishes a $50 million annual grant program (2027-2031) for local governments employing fewer than 175 law enforcement officers, including counties, municipalities, and Tribal governments. Grants fund de-escalation training, victim-centered domestic violence response training, evidence-based safety training for scenarios like mental health crises or active shooters, recruitment/retention bonuses (capped at 20% of salary), and mental health resources for officers. Recipients must report on program use, disclose bonus amounts publicly, and comply with audits to prevent misuse of funds. The bill aims to improve officer safety and community relations through targeted support for smaller law enforcement agencies.
HR 1902, the HERO Act, creates a national data system to track suicide rates among public safety officers (including firefighters, EMTs, police, and telecommunicators) and requires annual reports to Congress with detailed breakdowns by age, gender, occupation, and employment status (volunteer, career, etc.). The bill funds peer-support mental health programs for fire departments and EMS agencies, establishes confidential wellness services for healthcare providers, and develops resources to train mental health professionals on first responder-specific stressors and PTSD. It prohibits using suicide data to deny life insurance or benefits to survivors and mandates that all collected data be kept confidential and secure. This legislation directly affects all public safety officers nationwide by improving data collection, access to mental health resources, and evidence-based interventions to address suicide and trauma.
HR 3658, the 911 Community Crisis Responders Act of 2025, provides federal grants to states, tribes, and local governments to create unarmed mobile crisis response teams. These teams would handle nonviolent 911 calls related to mental health, substance use, homelessness, or disabilities - instead of sending police - by dispatching trained professionals like social workers or nurses. The bill requires grantees to update 911 systems for call triage, train dispatchers to identify appropriate referrals, and collect data on demographics, outcomes (like reduced ER visits), and program costs. It directly affects communities experiencing mental health or substance use crises by offering an alternative to law enforcement responses.
This bill creates a new Medicare payment model (the "Comprehensive Alternative Response for Emergencies Model") that allows Medicare Part B to cover ground ambulance services provided in response to emergency medical calls *without* a full transport. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries receiving emergency ambulance care and ambulance providers, ensuring they are paid for services like dispatch and initial response that don't include transport. The model requires payment rates to align with standard transport payments, mandates compliance with state protocols, and operates for a 5-year test period. A report by the Comptroller General will evaluate the model's impact on beneficiary access, outcomes, and regional differences after 4 years.
HR 3443 creates a new Medicare payment model to provide supplemental funding for ground and air ambulance services that administer specific life-saving medications (like epinephrine, lidocaine, and blood products) during emergencies. It directly affects EMS agencies serving Medicare beneficiaries by requiring them to apply for participation, meet data reporting standards (including patient outcomes and service metrics), and receive monthly or quarterly supplemental payments based on costs for maintaining medication supplies and data systems. The model runs for at least 5 years, with a requirement for a congressional report analyzing whether the payments improve medication access, patient outcomes, and care quality - especially for rural and underserved communities. The bill also mandates a MedPAC report on EMS payment structures and EMTALA guidance to reduce "wall time" delays in hospital handoffs.
HR 1269, the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025, expands benefits for public safety officers (like police and firefighters) who develop certain cancers linked to their work. It adds 22 specific cancers - including lung, mesothelioma, and breast cancer - to the list of conditions presumed to be "exposure-related" and sustained in the line of duty. This presumption applies if the officer served at least 5 years, was diagnosed with the cancer within 15 years after last active duty, and the cancer directly caused death or permanent disability. The bill also establishes a process for adding new cancers every 3 years based on medical evidence from agencies like NIOSH, and allows claims to be filed within 3 years of the law's enactment.
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Public Safety
The Wildfire Emergency Preparedness Act of 2025 establishes a national training plan for structural firefighters to respond to wildfires and wildland-urban interface fires, with $5 million annually for training grants. It creates an Under Secretary of Agriculture for Fire Coordination to improve federal-state-local coordination in wildfire response and authorizes $20 million annually for research on firefighter health, including PFAS exposure in firefighting equipment. The bill also provides $100 million for supplemental grants to fire departments and EMS organizations for wildfire response equipment and training, and sets criteria for mental health support for first responders. It requires reports to Congress on training effectiveness and coordination challenges within one year of enactment.
HR 2830, the Public Safety Officer Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury Health Act of 2025, requires the CDC to collect and publicly share data on concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) affecting public safety officers (including firefighters, police, and emergency responders). The bill directs the CDC to update its website and develop outreach materials to share this information with medical professionals, public safety employers, mental health providers, patients/families, and researchers. Key provisions include compiling evidence-based practices for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, and consulting with affected groups to ensure the information meets their needs. This bill creates a centralized information resource but does not mandate new treatments or funding for specific programs.
