Cárdenas, Porter Bipartisan Bill to Increase Public Safety, Protect Americans Experiencing Mental Health Crises Passes House
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Mental Health Justice Act, led by Representatives Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Katie Porter (CA-45), Michelle Steel (CA-48), Ayanna Pressley (MA-7) and Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5), passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. The legislation would empower state and local governments to send trained mental health professionals instead of police when 911 is called for someone experiencing a mental health crisis.
“Time and again, we’ve seen repeating tragedies of police officers killing individuals during a mental health emergency,” said Congressman Cárdenas. “The fact is we need to stop criminalizing mental illness and get people in crisis the help they need. The Mental Health Justice Act will provide resources to ensure that mental health providers are first on the scene during a mental health emergency. This will make our neighborhoods safer, and build trust between police and the communities they serve. I’m grateful to Congresswoman Porter for leading this bill, and I look forward to seeing it pass in the Senate.”
“We cannot improve public safety without giving our communities a better response system for mental health crises,” said Congresswoman Porter. “My Mental Health Justice Act connects people in crisis to the care they need and allows police officers to focus on crime. This is a proven, effective approach and a fiscally responsible use of taxpayer dollars. I am proud to work with Democrats and Republicans to get this done.”
“Our law enforcement officers put their own lives on the line every single day on behalf of our communities, and they deserve our respect and support,” said Congresswoman Steel. “As the only Republican to have led the Mental Health Justice Act in Congress, I’m pleased that this much needed legislation, which will give officers more resources to respond to emergency calls and mental health crises, has passed the House. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to get this bill to the President’s desk so we can better equip our brave police with the tools they need to keep us safe.”
“For too long, our flawed approach to policing has criminalized our neighbors in mental health crisis and our neighbors with disabilities instead of providing them with the resources and care that they need and deserve—that must change,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “I’m thrilled to see the House pass our Mental Health Justice Act today, which takes a trauma-informed approach to public safety by deploying trained mental health professionals to respond to folks experiencing mental health crises—rather than deploying police officers, which puts the life of those in crisis at risk. I’m grateful to Rep. Porter for her partnership on this important legislation and urge the Senate to take it up without delay.”
“The American people and law enforcement agree — individuals experiencing a mental health crisis need to be connected with trained mental health professionals, not thrown in jail,” said Congresswoman Scanlon. “But all too often, we see the tragic consequences of interactions between people in crisis and police officers who lack the necessary training to care for them. I'm proud to lead this common-sense bill alongside Reps. Porter, Pressley, Cárdenas to keep our communities safe by providing the resources needed to care for our most vulnerable and meet the needs of our over-extended law enforcement.”
The Treatment Advocacy Center estimates that one in four fatal police encounters involves someone with a severe mental illness. Additional research estimates that more than one in five 911 calls involve someone experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.
The Mental Health Justice Act creates a grant program to pay for hiring, training, salary, benefits and additional expenses for mental health provider first responder units. Grant recipients will receive technical assistance through the Disability Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Companion legislation in the Senate is led by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).
The House also passed three other public safety bills:
- Invest to Protect Act: funding small state police agencies through grants to retain and recruit officers, reduce the use of force and invest in strong accountability measures, including de-escalation training; improved response to substance use disorders; improved support for survivors of domestic violence; and promote a duty of care.
- VICTIM Act: bolstering state law enforcement agencies’ capacity to investigate and close cases of violent crime through new funding to:
- hire and train detectives to investigate homicides, sexual assaults and other violent crime;
- ensure victim services are funded, staffed and trained to address the needs of survivors and family members; and
- acquire and upgrade investigative technology to better process evidence.
- Break the Cycle of Violence Act: building on the American Rescue Plan’s life-saving investments in effective, evidence-based community violence prevention solutions – helping community organizations and local governments:
- hire violence intervention and prevention specialists;
- offer intensive counseling, peer support and mediation services to survivors; and
- provide culturally-responsive social services for those at the highest risk for involvement in community violence.
House Democrats are leading the charge to transform the culture of American policing and save lives from racist violence. The House has twice passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to implement strong, unprecedented reforms: banning chokeholds, prohibiting no-knock warrants, ending qualified immunity, combating racial profiling and establishing nationwide standards to prevent and combat police misconduct.
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