H.R. 5706 — Mental Health Emergency Responder Act

This section establishes a competitive grant program, administered by the Secretary of Health and Human Services through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to assist eligible entities in developing or expanding behavioral health crisis response programs that do not rely primarily on law enforcement. Eligible entities include (1) local or Tribal governments, (2) regional emergency medical services agencies or fire departments, (3) certified community behavioral health clinics (i.e., Medicaid-certified providers of comprehensive mental health and substance use disorder services), and (4) nonprofits partnering with local governments or health authorities. Grant funds may be used to (1) recruit, train, and equip behavioral health professionals and paramedics; (2) integrate co-response teams (i.e., teams with at least one behavioral health professional and one emergency medical services provider, firefighter, or peace officer) into 911 or 988 dispatch systems; (3) provide community education on alternatives to police-led responses; (4) develop protocols enabling emergency medical services to accept custody from police for transport to mental health facilities, if permitted by state law; and (5) designate emergency medical services agencies or clinician-led mobile crisis teams as primary responders to behavioral health emergencies, consistent with state and local laws. The section requires grantees to submit annual reports on response outcomes, diversion rates, and community feedback; prioritizes applications from jurisdictions lacking or with limited non-law-enforcement crisis programs; prohibits construing the program to alter state emergency detention laws or authorize actions beyond state law; and authorizes appropriations of such sums as necessary for FY2026 through FY2030.