Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Title: Mental Health and Safe Communities Act of 2015
Subject: Accounting and auditing: Administrative remedies: Appropriations: Congressional oversight: Correctional facilities and imprisonment: Crime prevention: Crime victims: Criminal justice information and records: Drug trafficking and controlled substances: Drug, alcohol, tobacco use: Employment and training programs: Firearms and explosives: First responders and emergency personnel: Government studies and investigations: Health information and medical records: Health programs administration and funding: Home and outpatient care: Law enforcement administration and funding: Law enforcement officers: Medical tests and diagnostic methods: Mental health: Performance measurement: Specialized courts: Tax-exempt organizations: Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation: Veterans' loans, housing, homeless programs: Veterans' medical care: Criminal procedure and sentencing: Crime and law enforcement
Description: 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.
Session: 114th Congress
Last Action: Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Technology.
Last Action Date: September 30, 2016
Link: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3722/all-info
Companion Bill: SB2002
Note: the first sponsor listed is normally the primary sponsor. If a sponsor's name is a hyperlink you can click on it to 'follow the money'.
40 sponsors: Martha McSally (D); Brad Ashford (D); Henry Cuellar (D); Collin Peterson (D); Michael McCaul (R); Mimi Walters (R); Timothy Walz (D); Carlos Curbelo (R); Alcee Hastings (D); Austin Scott (R); David Schweikert (R); Barbara Comstock (R); Will Hurd (R); Richard Hudson (R); Jeff Fortenberry (R); Robert Pittenger (R); Roger Williams (R); Randy Weber (R); Bob Gibbs (R); David Valadao (R); Earl Carter (R); Michael Burgess (R); Leonard Lance (R); Lee Zeldin (R); Kay Granger (R); Richard Nugent (R); David Reichert (R); Stevan Pearce (R); Todd Rokita (R); Doug Collins (R); Pete Sessions (R); Trent Franks (R); Mark Meadows (R); Steve Stivers (R); Candice Miller (R); Jeff Duncan (R); Lynn Jenkins (R); David Rouzer (R); Markwayne Mullin (R); Elise Stefanik (R)
| Chamber | Date | Action |
| House | Sep 30 2016 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Technology. |
| House | Nov 23 2015 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel. |
| House | Nov 3 2015 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. |
| House | Oct 21 2015 | Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. |
| House | Oct 8 2015 | Referred to House Veterans' Affairs |
| House | Oct 8 2015 | Introduced in House |
| House | Oct 8 2015 | Referred to House Armed Services |
| House | Oct 8 2015 | Referred to House Appropriations |
| House | Oct 8 2015 | Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, Veterans' Affairs, Appropriations, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. |
| House | Oct 8 2015 | Referred to House Judiciary |
| House | Oct 8 2015 | Referred to House Science, Space, and Technology |
| Type | Date | Federal Link | Text |
| Introduced | Oct 16 2015 | federal bill text | bill text |
| Title | Description | Date | State Link | Text | Adopted |
| There are no amendments to this bill at this time | |||||
Chamber: H
Committee Name: Subcommittee on Research and Technology
There have not been any votes on this bill