Officer Wellness and Peer Support Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8776
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-13: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-12T21:32:03Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation requires the Attorney General to prepare and submit a report on strategies to address mental health challenges faced by law enforcement officers. The goal is to identify ways to reduce associated stigma, promote access to support services, and protect the privacy of those services.
Key Provisions
- The Attorney General must submit a report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees no later than 270 days after the bill becomes law.
- The report must outline effective strategies and best practices for:
- Reducing mental health stigma among law enforcement officers.
- Encouraging officers to use mental health screening, peer counseling, and related resources.
- Protecting the confidentiality of services such as peer counseling, critical incident stress debriefings, peer crisis lines, and employee assistance programs.
- The report must also include recommendations for putting these strategies into practice.
- Preparation of the report requires consultation with the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Director of the National Institute of Justice.
- Additional input must come from Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies, as well as professional organizations, labor groups, academic institutions, and mental health or suicide prevention groups.
- The term “law enforcement officer” is defined to include individuals working in crime control, juvenile delinquency reduction, or criminal law enforcement, such as police, corrections, probation, parole, and judicial officers.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill does not amend any current statutes. It creates a new, one-time reporting requirement for the Department of Justice.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies, particularly the Department of Justice and its component offices, would need to allocate staff time and resources to research, consult, and draft the report.
- Law enforcement agencies at all levels could receive guidance that influences internal policies on mental health support.
- Individual officers might benefit from improved access to confidential services if the recommendations lead to new programs.
- Mental health and suicide prevention organizations could see increased collaboration opportunities with law enforcement.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies and their officers.
- Professional law enforcement organizations and labor groups.
- Academic and research institutions.
- Mental health and suicide prevention organizations.
- Congressional committees overseeing the Department of Justice.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The measure involves no new regulatory authority or enforcement mechanisms and raises no apparent constitutional issues. It reflects a congressional interest in supporting the well-being of law enforcement personnel through information gathering rather than direct mandates.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Rep. Rutherford, John H. [R-FL-5], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-13: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-05-13: Introduced in House
- 2026-05-13: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Officer Wellness and Peer Support Act of 2026 — issued 2026-05-13 — PDF (3 pages)