Help Our Country Become A Safer, Healthier Place for All

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Law Enforcement Training for Mental Health Crisis Response Act of 2025. This bill is a bipartisan effort alongside with Congresswoman Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma. Our goal is to ensure our officers have the tools they need to effectively and safely respond to mental health emergencies.

Every day, law enforcement officers across our Nation are called to situations where individuals are experiencing mental health crises. These moments can be unpredictable, even volatile, for all those involved.

The reality is that 1 in 10 police calls involve a person struggling with mental illness. Too often these encounters end in unnecessary harm.

Our bill will provide much-needed Federal support to train officers in crisis response techniques. It will advance their skills to deescalate situations, and our goal is to deescalate people with the care they need instead of the back of a squad car or a jail cell.

By investing in training, we protect our communities and ensure those in crisis are met with highly trained law enforcement officers.

I am proud to work along with Congresswoman Bice and our colleagues to help our country become a safer, more healthy place for all.

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