Congress passed a bipartisan bill Wednesday that will help fund de-escalation training involving individuals with mental health issues.
The legislation passed 264-162 as part of a two-year Congressional effort to pass various police reforms, prompted by the outcry from the death of George Floyd, The Associated Press reports. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden for signing.
“By giving law enforcement the tools they need to help those experiencing mental health emergencies and other crises, we can help make communities safer by building a stronger bridge between the criminal justice system and mental health care,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), one of the authors of the bill, said in a statement.
The legislation amends a 1968 federal crime law, and it creates $70 million in annual grant funding for law enforcement training on alternatives to the use of force for officers. The bill also sets up a requirement for the Justice Department to develop training curricula with other stakeholders, such as law enforcement groups, civil rights organizations and mental health experts.
