CTIPP-Endorsed Disaster Relief Legislation to Become Federal Law

The U.S. Senate has passed legislation to provide community-based, healing, and trauma-informed support to communities following disasters.

The CTIPP-endorsed legislation, the Post-Disaster Mental Health Response Act, extends the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP) to be available following Emergency Declarations, in addition to Major Disaster Declarations.

In response, Jen Curt (Director of Government Affairs) and Jesse Kohler (Executive Director) issued a video explaining how this will help communities across the nation and thanking CTIPP’s national network for their advocacy efforts:

The legislation was passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for the Fiscal Year 2023. The Post-Disaster Mental Health Response Act was introduced in the U.S. House (H.R. 5703) by Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Dina Titus (D-NV-01), David McKinley (R-WV-01), and Peter Meijer (R-MI-03). The U.S. Senate version (S. 3677) was introduced by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Rob Portman (R-OH).

President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill this month, and CTIPP will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves.

RELATED:

• CTIPP Applauds U.S. House for Passing Trauma-Informed Support to Communities After Disasters (December 2022)

• Natural Disasters are Traumatic: Urge Congress to Support Three Bills to Help Communities Heal (October 2022)

• Policy Brief: Post-Disaster Mental Health Response Act (August 2022)

• CTIPP Leads National Advocacy Groups Urging Congress to Call a Vote on Disaster Act (May 2022

• CTIPP Applauds Unanimous U.S. House Committee Passage of Post-Disaster Mental Health Response Act (April 2022)

• CTIPP Applauds Unanimous Senate Committee Passage of Post-Disaster Mental Health Response Act (March 2022)

• Bipartisan, Bicameral Federal Legislation Would Expand Mental Health & Trauma Support Resources (February 2022)