WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), along with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have voted to reauthorize the Support and Treatment for Officers in Crisis Act (STOIC Act).
The bill provides $7.5 million per year in grant funding for law enforcement family-support services and allows grant recipients to use the funds to establish suicide-prevention programs and mental health services for law enforcement officers through 2029. This legislation would provide help for police officers and other first responders struggling with substance abuse, depression, or other mental health issues.
“There is no profession more deserving of our support than one that keeps our streets safe,” Senator Hawley said. “By reauthorizing the STOIC Act, we provide our first responders with the mental health resources they need as they work to protect our communities. My first bill I ever got passed in Congress was to provide additional resources to help law enforcement with these issues. Our law enforcement officers bear witness to traumatizing and heartbreaking situations on a daily basis. They need to know they have our full support.”
A 2024 police survey shows that 40% of officers experienced a “near miss” incident at work due to stress and fatigue, and 16% experienced suicidal ideation in the past year alone. Seventy percent of respondents reported trouble sleeping, 39% depression, 36% panic or anxiety symptoms, and 35% PTSD. Half of our officers say they do not feel adequately trained to manage the mental health aspects of the job, and about three-quarters felt that seeking help and resources would help with work-related stress.
Reauthorization of the STOIC Act would:
- Provide $7.5 million per year in grant funding for law enforcement family-support, suicide-prevention, and mental health services through 2029
- Direct the Attorney General to provide training programs and technical assistance on mental health and suicide prevention
- Require grant recipients to provide at least one law enforcement support program, including evidence-based programs to reduce stress, prevent suicide, and promote mental health
- Allow grant recipients to provide specialized training and technical assistance for identifying, reporting, and responding to officer mental health crises and suicide
Read the full bill text here.