H.R.3658 - 911 Community Crisis Responders Act of 2025 (119th Congress)
Summary
H.R.3658, the 911 Community Crisis Responders Act of 2025, aims to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for establishing unarmed mobile crisis response programs. These programs would handle nonviolent emergency calls related to mental health, substance abuse, and other social issues. The goal is to divert such calls away from law enforcement and towards trained professional service providers.
Expected Effects
The bill's enactment would lead to the creation and expansion of unarmed mobile crisis response programs across the United States. This would change the way certain 911 calls are handled, potentially reducing the involvement of law enforcement in non-violent crises. The bill also mandates data collection and reporting on the effectiveness of these programs.
Potential Benefits
- Improved Mental Health Crisis Response: Provides specialized care for individuals experiencing mental health crises.
- Reduced Law Enforcement Involvement: Diverts non-violent calls from law enforcement, allowing them to focus on other priorities.
- Enhanced Community Safety: Promotes de-escalation and connection to community-based services.
- Data-Driven Program Improvement: Requires data collection and reporting to assess program effectiveness.
- Job Creation: Creates jobs for unarmed professional service providers and public safety telecommunicators.
Potential Disadvantages
- Potential for Inadequate Response: Unarmed responders may not be equipped to handle all situations, potentially endangering themselves or others.
- Funding Requirements: Requires significant government funding, which could strain resources.
- Implementation Challenges: Coordinating between 911 systems, call centers, and mobile crisis teams could be complex.
- Lack of Standardized Training: Without standardized training, the quality of services may vary across different programs.
- Data Privacy Concerns: Collection of demographic and health information raises privacy concerns.
Constitutional Alignment
The bill appears to align with the Constitution's general welfare clause (Preamble). It promotes the well-being of citizens by addressing mental health and substance abuse crises. The Tenth Amendment reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states, but this bill uses the spending power to incentivize state and local action, which is generally permissible.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).