H.R. 5725: Mental Health Crisis Response Act of 2025

This bill, titled the Mental Health Crisis Response Act of 2025, aims to improve community responses to mental health-related emergencies by establishing a grant program. Here’s a breakdown of its main components:

Grant Program Establishment

The Attorney General, in partnership with the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, is required to set up a grant program within 270 days of the bill's enactment. This program will award grants to eligible jurisdictions to help them implement or expand health-centered crisis response strategies for individuals experiencing behavioral health emergencies.

Eligible Jurisdictions

To qualify for the grant, jurisdictions must be State, Tribal, or local governments that manage emergency services related to incidents that include law enforcement and emergency medical services.

Application Process

Eligible jurisdictions must submit an application to the Attorney General to receive the grant. The application must be completed in a time and manner defined by the Attorney General, including any information required for processing.

Uses of Grant Funds

Grants can be utilized for several specific purposes:

• Embedding mental health professionals in 911 dispatch and call triage systems.
• Creating an alternative routing system for 911 calls to mental health or substance abuse crisis hotline services, such as 988.
• Establishing partnerships between emergency services and 911 dispatch centers to ensure efficient communication without requiring callers to hang up and redial.

Rules of Construction

The bill clarifies that:

• No State, Tribe, or local government is required to remove law enforcement from emergency response models.
• No provisions preempt existing State laws concerning involuntary psychiatric holds, treatment, or other emergency authorities meant to protect public safety.

Reporting Requirements

Jurisdictions that receive a grant are required to submit annual reports that detail:

• The response time to incidents.
• Any use of force by law enforcement or responders during such incidents.
• Rates at which individuals are diverted from emergency services.
• Other relevant information as requested by the Attorney General or Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use.

Funding Authorization

The bill authorizes appropriations of $25,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2027 to 2031 to carry out the provisions of the grant program.

Relevant Companies

None found