Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act of 2026
Mental Health Support for Corrections Officers
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process after being sent to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary for review. It is considered active, but there are no upcoming votes or hearings scheduled at this time. There is no companion bill currently linked to this legislation.
Legislative Progress
Most bills introduced in the Senate do not become law unless they have a large number of supporters from both parties and a matching version in the House.
Key Points
- This bill creates a new grant program to help states and cities pay for mental health checkups for prison and jail staff. These screenings are designed to find signs of serious issues like depression or bipolar disorder early on.
- If a screening shows an officer might be struggling, a special outreach team will help them find a local doctor or clinic. The bill aims to make it easier for these workers to get professional help before a crisis happens.
- The law includes a safe harbor rule to protect officers' jobs. It prevents them from being fired or facing negative work reviews just because they are seeking mental health treatment or participating in the program.
- The program would start with $50 million in funding for the first year and increase to $70 million by 2030. Most of the money is set aside for local and state jails, while 20 percent goes to federal prisons.
- All screenings must be kept private and confidential. A new advisory board will oversee the program to make sure the money is used correctly and that officers' personal information is protected.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
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Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act of 2026
Data Sources
Sponsor
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.