Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. ELFRETH. Mr. Speaker, local law enforcement officers bravely and tirelessly work to protect our communities day in and day out. The situations that these law enforcement officers encounter put them, as we all know, at an increased risk of developing mental health disorders, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

This Police Week, I thank the sponsors of the bill, my colleagues across the aisle, for introducing H.R. 2240, the Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act.

I did offer an amendment to require that the Department of Justice include recommendations on improving training programs for domestic violence cases because far too often our local law enforcement officers are at the front lines of response to domestic violence cases. These situations not only need to be handled carefully with specialized training, but they also take a toll on officers' own well-being.

While this amendment was not made in order, I rise today because I believe it is essential to address the issues of domestic violence and the mental health of our officers in a bipartisan manner.

I look forward to working with my colleagues across the aisle in addressing this critical need and continuing to address these issues together.

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