Press Releases

U.S. Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) introduced a pair of bipartisan bills, the H.R. 4024, Filling Public Safety Vacancies Act and H.R. 4022, Increasing Behavioral Health Treatment Act, to improve public safety nationwide. This package aims to address the staffing shortages at local law enforcement departments and removes the limitations on the provision of Medicaid funding for patients in an institution for mental disease (IMD) in order to improve behavioral health.

“The Filling Public Safety Vacancies Act and Increasing Behavioral Health Treatment Act are bipartisan commitments to strengthening our communities by addressing critical law enforcement staffing shortages and expanding access to behavioral health care,” said Rep. Carbajal. “By investing in these essential resources, we are ensuring that local communities have the support they need to safeguard people’s both physical safety and mental well-being.” 

"Law enforcement staffing shortages and lack of access to behavioral healthcare are negatively impacting our communities and these two bipartisan bills will help address those gaps,” said Rep. Bacon. “We can provide peace of mind to communities by supporting these resources.”

The Filling Public Safety Vacancies Act aims to help local police departments mitigate staffing shortages. The legislation also provides an emergency boost to the federal grant program that provides funding to departments for recruitment and hiring. The bipartisan bill has a Senate companion led by Senators Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).

With an infusion of an additional $162 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program, the bill would double the amount of federal grant funding available for local departments this fiscal year.

The bipartisan bill also establishes a new vetting requirement for officers hired using the supplemental funding provided in the bill, creating the first-ever statutory requirement for background checks and mental health evaluations. Currently, federal law does not require agencies to perform background checks on new recruits through the COPS Hiring Program.

The Filling Public Safety Vacancies Act has the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police, Major County Sheriffs of America, and the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), California’s largest law enforcement organization.

“Policing staff shortages are a nationwide problem and law enforcement agencies are struggling to retain good veteran officers and to find the best and brightest candidates to protect their communities.  This legislation provides a needed one-time boost of $162 million for the hiring program administered by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The additional funds can be used to hire or rehire law enforcement officers as well as pay for the required background checks and psychological examinations.  We are grateful to have Representatives Carbajal and Bacon lead this important effort,” said Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police.

“The City of Santa Barbara appreciates our Congressman’s deep understanding of the behavioral health system and how to increase access to critical treatment and services while ensuring that the approach to such services are holistic and community-centered. As a City that has made significant investments in coordinated community crisis response through our Police Department’s Co-Response Team as well as accessibility to mental health services through our downtown daytime navigation center, we feel strongly that this legislation will create more pathways for positive client outcomes and increase overall public health, safety and well-being,” said Kelly Gordon, City of Santa Barbara Police Chief.

The Increasing Behavioral Health Treatment Act would remove the Medicaid Institutions for Mental Disease (IMD) payment prohibition for states that have submitted a plan to: increase access to outpatient and community-based behavioral health care; increase availability of crisis stabilization services; and improve data sharing and coordination between physical health, mental health and addiction treatment providers, and first-responders.

Increasing Behavioral Health Treatment Act is endorsed by County of Ventura, County of Santa Barbara, Ventura County District Attorney, Ventura County Sheriff, Santa Barbara County Sheriff, Santa Barbara Police Department, Behavioral Health and Wellness, California State Association of Counties, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), National Association of Counties (NACo), National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors, Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), and Major County Sheriffs of America.