SCS/SB 551 - This act establishes the "Critical Incident Stress Management Program" within the Department of Public Safety. The program shall provide services for peace officers to assist in coping with stress and potential psychological trauma resulting from a response to a critical incident or emotionally difficult event. A "critical incident" is any event outside the usual realm of human experience that is markedly distressing or evokes reactions of intense fear, helplessness, or horror and involves the perceived threat to a person's physical integrity or the physical integrity of someone else. This act provides that all peace officers shall be required to meet with a program service provider once every three to five years for a mental health check-in. The program service provider shall send a notification to the peace officer's commanding officer that he or she completed such check-in. Any information disclosed by a peace officer shall be privileged and shall not be used as evidence in criminal, administrative, or civil proceedings against the peace officer, except as in certain instances as provided in the act.
This act creates the "988 Public Safety Fund" within the state treasury and shall be used by the Department of Public Safety for the purposes of providing services for peace officers to assist in coping with stress and potential psychological trauma resulting from a response to a critical incident or emotionally difficult event. Such services may include consultation, risk assessment, education, intervention, and other crisis intervention services.
This act is substantially similar to provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed CCS/HCS/SS/SCS/SBs 53 & 60 (2021) and CCS#2/HCS/SS/SB 26 (2021) and similar to SB 18 (First Extraordinary Session 2020).
MARY GRACE BRUNTRAGER