Sen. Ossoff Co-sponsored Bill to Improve Public Safety and Reduce Violence Passes Key Senate Committee

A bipartisan bill co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff to improve public safety and reduce violence passed a key Senate Committee today.

In a Senate Judiciary Committee markup today, Sen. Ossoff pushed his colleagues to advance the bipartisan Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act of 2022, legislation he co-sponsored to help law enforcement officials better respond to calls involving individuals suffering from mental health crises.

"Public safety is essential. Investments in mental health are essential. And so I urge that we come together and move this legislation forward as a bipartisan Committee," Sen. Ossoff said in the markup.

The bill would improve collaboration between law enforcement agencies and mental health professionals to develop and implement initiatives that enhance mental health and substance abuse services, such as:

Integrating the new 988 mental health crisis line into emergency call centers
Deploying co-responder teams of mental health professionals with 24/7, 365 response capability
Improving access to case management services and suicide prevention programs
The bill passed the Committee with bipartisan support.

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