Safe Interactions Act of 2023
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to nonprofit disability organizations to develop training programs for law enforcement officers who may encounter individuals with disabilities.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1731 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1731
To provide grants to enable nonprofit disability organizations to
develop training programs that support safe interactions between law
enforcement officers and individuals with disabilities and older
individuals.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 18, 2023
Mr. Casey (for himself, Mr. Moran, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Murkowski, Mr.
Markey, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms.
Hirono, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Whitehouse, and Mr. Padilla)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide grants to enable nonprofit disability organizations to
develop training programs that support safe interactions between law
enforcement officers and individuals with disabilities and older
individuals.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Safe Interactions Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Individuals with disabilities are 2.5 times more likely
to be victims of violent crime.
(2) Individuals with disabilities are 3 times more likely
to be victims of a serious crime.
(3) Individuals with disabilities make up between one-third
and one-half of all individuals killed by law enforcement
officers.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
The purposes of this Act are to--
(1) authorize the Secretary to award competitive grants to
nonprofit disability organizations to administer enhanced
training programs to law enforcement officers who may encounter
or provide services to covered individuals, including--
(A) individuals with mental health disabilities,
including schizophrenia;
(B) individuals who are deaf, deaf-blind, hard of
hearing, or blind, are autistic, or have other
intellectual or developmental disabilities;
(C) older individuals with dementia or other
cognitive impairments; and
(D) individuals with any other disability or
chronic health condition;
(2) support, not replace, other specialized law enforcement
officer training; and
(3)(A) increase the awareness, knowledge, and understanding
of law enforcement officers about covered individuals and their
unique needs and applicable Federal civil rights laws;
(B) reduce incidences of violence between law enforcement
officers and covered individuals;
(C) expand the knowledge of law enforcement officers, in
areas such as the signs of disabilities, identifying people
with disabilities, communicating with people with disabilities,
and effective ways to approach covered individuals to minimize
situations of risk to--
(i) those individuals; and
(ii) the law enforcement officers who intervene or
provide services to those individuals; and
(D) increase the knowledge of law enforcement officers of
community resources available for covered individuals to
ultimately limit interactions with law enforcement officers.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Covered grant.--The term ``covered grant'' means a
grant awarded under section 5(a).
(2) Covered individual.--The term ``covered individual''
means--
(A) an older individual; or
(B) an individual with a disability.
(3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a
nonprofit disability organization that has formed a partnership
with a law enforcement agency or a consortium of law
enforcement agencies to administer enhanced training programs
to law enforcement officers of the agency or agencies on how to
interact with covered individuals.
(4) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the
meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(5) Individual with a disability.--The term ``individual
with a disability'' means any individual who has a disability,
as defined in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102).
(6) Initial training program.--The term ``initial training
program'' means a mandatory training program offered to new law
enforcement officers during their orientation under section
5(d)(1)(A).
(7) Law enforcement officer.--The term ``law enforcement
officer'' means any officer, agent, or employee of a State,
political subdivision of a State, or Indian Tribe--
(A) authorized by law or by a government agency to
engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, or
investigation of any violation of criminal law; or
(B) authorized by law to supervise sentenced
criminal offenders.
(8) Nonprofit disability organization.--The term
``nonprofit disability organization'' means a nonprofit
organization--
(A) that serves covered individuals; and
(B)(i) that is operated by a board of which the
majority of members are covered individuals;
(ii) that has an advisory panel of which the
majority of members are covered individuals; or
(iii) the majority of the employees of which are
covered individuals.
(9) Older individual.--The term ``older individual'' has
the meaning given the term in section 102 of the Older
Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3002).
(10) Partner academy.--The term ``partner academy'', with
respect to an eligible entity that receives a covered grant,
means a law enforcement training academy with which the
eligible entity partners to administer an initial training
program, as described in section 5(b)(1).
(11) Partner agency.--The term ``partner agency'', with
respect to an eligible entity that receives a covered grant,
means the law enforcement agency with which the eligible entity
partners, or that is a member of a consortium with which the
eligible entity partners, to administer enhanced training
programs to law enforcement officers of the agency on how to
interact with covered individuals.
(12) Refresher training program.--The term ``refresher
training program'' means a training program offered to existing
law enforcement officers under section 5(d)(1)(B).
(13) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
(14) State.--
(A) State.--The term ``State'' includes, in
addition to the several States of the United States,
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of
Columbia, Guam, American Samoa, the United States
Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, and the Freely Associated States.
(B) Freely associated states.--The term ``Freely
Associated States'' means the Republic of the Marshall
Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the
Republic of Palau.
SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award competitive grants to
nonprofit disability organizations to administer enhanced training
programs to law enforcement officers who may encounter or provide
services to covered individuals.
(b) Application.--An eligible entity seeking a covered grant shall
submit to the Secretary an application that--
(1)(A) identifies a law enforcement training academy with
which the eligible entity will partner to administer an initial
training program; and
(B) includes a memorandum of understanding entered into
between the eligible entity and the law enforcement training
academy;
(2) describes the training program curriculum, which shall
include training on how to interact with, identify, approach,
and communicate with covered individuals that is provided, as
of the date of submission of the application--
(A) by the partner academy to new law enforcement
officers; or
(B) by any partner agency to existing law
enforcement officers;
(3) describes the learning objectives of the training
programs that the eligible entity will administer using the
grant;
(4) describes the activities that will be carried out under
the grant;
(5) includes a timeline of the activities described in
paragraph (4); and
(6) demonstrates expertise in training related to covered
individuals.
(c) Preferences.--In awarding covered grants, the Secretary shall
ensure--
(1) geographic diversity of grant recipients, including
grant recipients that serve rural localities; and
(2) that the training funded by the grant is provided to
multiple levels of law enforcement agencies, including local,
county, State, and Tribal agencies.
(d) Use of Funds.--
(1) Mandatory uses.--An eligible entity that receives a
covered grant shall use the grant funds to--
(A) modify the training provided by the partner
academy to new law enforcement officers of each partner
agency so that the academy provides not fewer than 8
hours of training on topics such as how to interact
with, identify, approach, and communicate with covered
individuals and applicable Federal civil rights laws,
including not fewer than 4 hours of interactive
learning taught by covered individuals; and
(B) develop and implement an enhanced training
program for existing law enforcement officers of each
partner agency on safe, effective, and respectful
interactions with covered individuals--
(i) that includes--
(I) awareness of and education
about covered individuals, including--
(aa) individuals with
mental health disabilities,
including schizophrenia;
(bb) individuals who are
deaf, deaf-blind, hard of
hearing, or blind, are
autistic, or have other
intellectual or developmental
disabilities;
(cc) older individuals with
dementia or other cognitive
impairments; and
(dd) individuals with any
other disability or chronic
health condition;
(II) escalation avoidance and de-
escalation techniques to be used when
interacting with covered individuals,
including procedures a law enforcement
officer should follow to ensure the
health and safety of a covered
individual; and
(III) communication strategies to
be used when interacting with covered
individuals, including individuals who
do not use speech to communicate;
(ii) that utilizes--
(I) instructors who are covered
individuals; or
(II) guest instructors or speakers
who are covered individuals; and
(iii) in which each law enforcement officer
participates not less frequently than 4 hours
every year.
(2) Optional uses.--An eligible entity that receives a
covered grant may use the grant funds to--
(A) expand an existing training program regarding
topics such as interacting with, identifying,
approaching, and communicating with covered individuals
that was provided to law enforcement officers by a
nonprofit disability organization in conjunction with
the partner academy or a partner agency before the
eligible entity received the grant;
(B) reimburse staff members of the eligible entity
for mileage and travel time expended to attend an
initial training program or refresher training program
occurring in person or online;
(C) develop a model of training that utilizes
volunteer instructors, except that the eligible entity
shall pay any instructor, including a guest instructor,
who is a covered individual;
(D) acquire a computer system or software needed
for the training programs; or
(E) support the paid participation of individuals
with disabilities and their family members as advisors.
(e) Supplement, Not Supplant.--An eligible entity that receives a
covered grant shall use the grant funds to supplement, and not
supplant, any funds that would, in the absence of the grant funds, be
made available from a State, political subdivision of a State, or
Indian Tribe for the activities described in subsection (d).
(f) Advisory Council.--
(1) In general.--An eligible entity that receives a covered
grant shall establish an advisory council composed of 15
members to advise the eligible entity on activities carried out
using the grant.
(2) Membership.--An advisory council established under
paragraph (1) shall--
(A) be composed of--
(i) 1 representative of the eligible entity
who is a covered individual and shall serve as
chair of the advisory council;
(ii) 1 representative of the State law
enforcement training academy or law enforcement
agency for the State that the eligible entity
serves, who shall serve as vice chair of the
advisory council;
(iii) 3 representatives of community-based
organizations that support individuals with
disabilities, not fewer than 2 of whom have a
disability;
(iv) 2 representatives of community-based
organizations that support older adults;
(v) 2 State officials or their designees;
(vi) 1 representative of an organization
providing victim services;
(vii) 1 representative of a State public
safety agency;
(viii) 3 members of the public with
knowledge of individuals with disabilities and
older adults with cognitive impairment,
including not fewer than 2 self-advocates or
family members of a covered individual; and
(ix) 1 active local or State law
enforcement officer representing a labor or
representative organization; and
(B) include a majority of representation from
racial and ethnic minority communities.
(3) Duties.--An advisory council established under
paragraph (1) shall--
(A) advise the eligible entity and provide general
oversight of grant activities carried out by the
eligible entity, including development of the training
curriculum and implementation of the training programs;
and
(B) provide the advisory council with
recommendations for the sustainability and expansion of
the training programs, such as the development of a
train-the-trainer model.
(g) Annual Report.--
(1) Report to secretary by eligible entities.--Not later
than 1 year after receiving a covered grant, and each year
thereafter for the duration of the grant period, an eligible
entity that receives a covered grant shall submit the following
information to the Secretary with respect to the preceding
year:
(A) The number of individuals who benefitted from
the training programs provided by the eligible entity
using grant funds, including--
(i) the number of individuals who were
trained through the training programs,
including the total number of new law
enforcement officers who participated in the
initial training program and existing law
enforcement officers who participated in the
refresher training program; and
(ii) the estimated number of individuals
who were impacted by the training programs.
(B) Demographic data, including age, sex, and race,
for the law enforcement officers who received the
training.
(C) The number of partner agencies that
participated in the training programs.
(D) Each partner law enforcement agency, including
the city and State in which the headquarters and each
local office of the agency are located, and the result
of that partnership.
(E) Any recommendations for improving the grant
program carried out under this Act.
(2) Report to congress and the attorney general by the
secretary.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, and each year thereafter, the Secretary shall
submit a report on the grant program carried out under this
Act, with respect to the preceding year, to--
(A) the Attorney General;
(B) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(D) the Special Committee on Aging of the Senate;
(E) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate;
(F) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of
Representatives; and
(G) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
(h) Evaluation.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall use not more than 2
percent of the amounts made available under section 6 for
administrative purposes and for an evaluation of the grant
program carried out under this Act.
(2) Independent evaluator.--The Secretary shall enter into
a contract with a third-party entity that is unrelated to any
recipient of a covered grant to carry out the evaluation under
paragraph (1).
(3) Contents.--In carrying out the evaluation under
paragraph (1), the third-party entity contracted under
paragraph (2) shall report to the Secretary and the Attorney
General on--
(A) the demographic characteristics of the
population served by the training conducted by eligible
entities using covered grants; and
(B) any change in the occurrence of violence in the
communities served by training described in
subparagraph (A).
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2023 through 2026 to carry out this Act.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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