H.R. 3621: Public Safety and Mental Health Reporting Act

This bill, titled the Public Safety and Mental Health Reporting Act, aims to improve understanding and reporting on how law enforcement interacts with individuals experiencing mental health issues. Here is a summary of its main points:

Data Acquisition

The bill mandates that the Attorney General, in collaboration with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, must gather data each year regarding encounters between law enforcement officers and individuals with mental illness.

Guidelines for Data Collection

To ensure uniformity and reliability, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services or the Assistant Secretary of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration are responsible for establishing guidelines on how this data is to be collected.

Restrictions on Data Use

The data collected under this bill can only be utilized for research or statistical analysis and must be presented in a way that protects the privacy of individuals, meaning it cannot include personal identifying information of any person involved.

Annual Reporting

Once the data is collected, the Attorney General is required to compile it and submit an annual summary to Congress. This summary will also be made publicly available, providing insight into the interactions between law enforcement and individuals with mental health conditions.

Funding Authorization

The bill allows for the allocation of necessary funds for its implementation, ensuring resources are available for the data collection and reporting processes from fiscal year 2026 through fiscal year 2036.

Definition of Mental Illness

In the context of this bill, “mental illness” is defined according to the specifications found in section 2991(a)(7) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.

Relevant Companies

None found.