Mental Health and Safe Communities Act of 2015

Summary

Mental Health and Safe Communities Act of 2015 This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize the Department of Justice (DOJ) to award grants for: (1) mental health programs and related law enforcement and corrections programs, (2) state compliance with federal mental health records requirements, (3) court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment, (4) pretrial screening and supervision, (5) behavioral health assessments and intervention, (6) forensic assertive community treatment, and (7) the establishment of a National Criminal Justice and Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Center. In addition, the bill expands the purposes for which grant funds may be used under existing programs related to: (1) public safety and community policing, (2) staffing for adequate fire and emergency response, (3) school security, and (4) residential substance abuse treatment for inmates. DOJ must establish a pilot program to determine the effectiveness of diverting eligible offenders to drug or mental health courts. Each of the federal uniformed services must be provided specialized mental health training. With respect to an existing grant program for drug treatment alternatives to incarceration, the bill revises program requirements and expands the program to also cover mental health treatment alternatives. Comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act of 2015 DOJ is further authorized to award grants: (1) for sequential intercept mapping, which is aimed at minimizing criminal justice involvement for individuals with mental illness; (2) for various programs related to the behavioral health of veterans; (3) to assist correctional facilities in addressing the needs of inmates with mental illness; and (4) to train law enforcement in responding to situations involving individuals with mental illness. The bill revises the definition of "preliminarily qualified offenders" who must be targeted by certain grant-funded collaboration programs between mental health and justice agencies. The bill reauthorizes through FY2020 and revises the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Improvement Amendments Act of 2007. Current law prohibits the sale or disposition of a firearm or ammunition to any person who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution. The bill instead prohibits such a sale or disposition to any person who has been adjudicated mentally incompetent or committed to a psychiatric hospital, as defined by the bill. The bill also establishes: (1) procedures for administrative review of a determination that a person has been adjudicated mentally incompetent or committed to a psychiatric hospital, and (2) conditions for removal of records from NICS. The bill reauthorizes through FY2020 the following: (1) adult and juvenile collaboration programs, and (2) mental health courts and qualified drug treatment programs.

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Timeline

1. 5 August 2015

   Introduced

   Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6392-6401)

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 5 August 2015

   Introduced

   Introduced in Senate

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 10 February 2016

   Committee

   Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.

   Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

• Introduced in Senate · 5 August 2015 · Download file

Documents

3 official files

• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 5 August 2015

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in Senate (PDF)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 5 August 2015

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

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• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 5 August 2015

  Open at official source

  Leesvertaling

  Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

  Vertaal naarNL · DutchDE · GermanFR · FrenchES · SpanishIT · ItalianPL · PolishPT · PortugueseSV · SwedishDA · DanishFI · FinnishEL · GreekCS · CzechHU · HungarianRO · RomanianBG · BulgarianHR · CroatianSK · SlovakSL · SlovenianLT · LithuanianLV · LatvianET · EstonianGA · IrishMT · Maltese

  Vertaal document

  Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

Sponsors

• Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] · R · Sponsor
• Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. Ayotte, Kelly [R-NH] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] · R · Cosponsor
• Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD] · R · Cosponsor
• · ssju00 · Standing

Related records

• related to → Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Act of 2015
• related to → Comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act of 2015
• related to → Comprehensive Justice and Mental Health Act of 2015
• related to ← Mental Health and Safe Communities Act of 2015