DHS Suicide Prevention and Resiliency for Law Enforcement Act

Bill Number

H.R. 6548

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Government Operations and Politics

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-12-11: Referred to the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.

Last Updated

2026-07-09T13:27:22Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

This legislation, titled the "DHS Suicide Prevention and Resiliency for Law Enforcement Act," aims to improve mental health support and reduce suicide risks among law enforcement officers and agents in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It establishes a dedicated program to promote wellness, provide training, collect data, and foster a supportive culture, addressing the unique stresses faced by these personnel.

Key Provisions

• Establishment of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Program: Creates a program within DHS, overseen by the Chief Medical Officer, to offer comprehensive mental health support for law enforcement in specified DHS components (U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration, and any other with law enforcement roles).
• Program Activities:
• Develop policies and procedures based on evidence-based practices.
• Collect and research data on mental health, suicides, and attempted suicides, while strictly protecting privacy (e.g., no personally identifiable information—PII—can be published or used beyond the program's purposes, complying with laws like the Privacy Act of 1974).
• Track trends and best practices from other organizations.
• Evaluate existing DHS mental health programs.
• Provide education and training on mental health awareness, resilience, suicide prevention, and stigma reduction for officers, supervisors, clinicians, peers, chaplains, and others.
• Form a Peer-to-Peer Support Program Advisory Council with representatives from each component to evaluate programs, share best practices (including international standards), build networks for support personnel, and ensure ongoing training and funding.
• Support families of officers, including surviving families of those lost to suicide, through training and resources.
• Collaborate with component officials (including unions where applicable) to implement new policies based on research.
• Conduct outreach on available resources.
• Personnel and Administration: Managed by the Workplace Health and Wellness Coordinator under the Chief Medical Officer; requires sufficient staffing, including component representatives and privacy experts, subject to funding.
• Directive and Coordination: Within 180 days of enactment, the Chief Medical Officer must issue and distribute a policy on program roles; requires ongoing coordination with each component via assigned officials.
• Requirements for DHS Components: Heads of components must prioritize mental health programs by:
• Allocating resources for wellness, resilience, and suicide prevention.
• Promoting stigma reduction through messaging and awareness.
• Offering multiple anonymous help options (e.g., internal counseling, external clinicians, service animals).
• Revising policies that might discourage seeking help.
• Protecting officers from retaliation or mandatory fitness exams solely for seeking mental health support.
• Mandating in-person or interactive virtual training on suicide awareness and resilience at hiring, annually, during promotions to supervisory roles, and optionally before retirement.
• Including family support services.
• Data Collection and Evaluation:
• Develop criteria to assess program effectiveness; conduct annual confidential surveys of officers to measure progress and baseline changes.
• Provide recommendations to components based on assessments.
• Require reporting of suicide incidents to a central coordinator, who forwards data to the national Law Enforcement Officers Suicide Data Collection Program (with privacy safeguards).
• Congressional Briefings: The Chief Medical Officer must brief relevant House and Senate committees within 180 days of enactment and annually through fiscal year 2027 on implementation.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 by inserting a new section (710A) focused exclusively on suicide prevention and mental health resiliency for DHS law enforcement. It builds on prior laws like the Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection Act (2020) by mandating DHS-specific data sharing and program enhancements, while introducing new requirements for peer support councils, family involvement, anti-retaliation safeguards, and mandatory trainings—elements not previously detailed in DHS policy for these personnel. It also updates the Act's table of contents to reflect the new section.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: DHS and its components will need to invest time, funding, and personnel in program development, trainings, surveys, and policy revisions, potentially improving officer retention and performance but straining budgets without dedicated appropriations. Enhanced coordination could standardize mental health support across DHS.
• On Citizens: Primarily benefits DHS law enforcement officers (over 100,000 personnel) and their families by reducing suicide risks and stigma, leading to healthier public safety workforce; indirect benefits include safer communities through better-supported officers. No direct impact on the general public or international relations, though it references international peer support standards for best practices.
• On International Relations: Minimal; the bill encourages adopting globally recognized protocols but focuses domestically.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• DHS Law Enforcement Officers and Agents: Direct beneficiaries of mental health resources, protections, and trainings to address job-related stresses.
• Families and Surviving Families: Gain access to support, education, and prevention programs.
• DHS Leadership and Components: Including the Chief Medical Officer, Workplace Health and Wellness Coordinator, component heads, peer support personnel, clinicians, chaplains, and privacy officers; required to implement and report on changes.
• Unions and Exclusive Representatives: Involved in policy development for components with unionized employees.
• Congress: Receives briefings to oversee implementation.
• Broader Law Enforcement Community: Indirectly influenced through data sharing with national suicide data programs and adoption of best practices.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Strongly emphasizes privacy protections for PII under federal laws (e.g., Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act exemptions), ensuring data use is limited to program goals and prohibiting publication of identifying details. Includes safeguards against adverse employment actions for seeking help, aligning with anti-discrimination laws like the Rehabilitation Act. Subject to appropriations, so funding could affect rollout.
• Constitutional: Supports due process and equal protection by prohibiting retaliation for mental health seeking, potentially reducing barriers to care without infringing on agency oversight of fitness for duty.
• Political: Introduced bipartisanship (Democrat and Republican sponsors), reflecting growing congressional focus on law enforcement wellness amid national discussions on officer mental health post-incidents like suicides. Requires congressional oversight through briefings, promoting accountability without mandating new funding, which could spark debates on resource allocation in homeland security budgets.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]

Cosponsors (1)

Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2]

Recent Actions

• 2025-12-11: Referred to the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.
• 2025-12-10: Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
• 2025-12-10: Introduced in House
• 2025-12-10: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• DHS Suicide Prevention and Resiliency for Law Enforcement Act — issued 2025-12-10 — PDF (13 pages)