# 119-s-666: First Responders Wellness Act

119-s-666, First Responders Wellness Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2025-12-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-666
- As of: 2025-12-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-666
- Congress: 119
- Title: First Responders Wellness Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-02-20
- Sponsor: Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2025-12-21

## Summary

**A national mental health hotline for first responders** connects first responders and their families to peer support, crisis counseling, substance use help, and referrals. The bill also expands disaster counseling to emergency responders and requires a report on mobile crisis care. - First responders and their families gain a 24/7 toll-free voice and text hotline staffed by culturally competent peer specialists who understand first responder trauma, with a separate recognizable number linked to the 988 Lifeline and bidirectional transfer options. It must be operational within two years. - Emergency response providers who respond to major disasters become eligible for services under the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program, giving them access to short-term counseling and training after disasters. - The Department of Health and Human Services through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must run the hotline, coordinate with existing hotlines, develop trauma-informed training for 988 centers, run outreach, and report to Congress annually. *Authorizes $10.0 million per year for fiscal years 2025–2031 to carry out the hotline, which would increase federal spending by up to $70.0 million if appropriated.*

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO] (R-MO), 2025-02-20T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- More mental health help for first responders: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would create a national, toll-free mental health hotline for first responders and their household members. The hotline would operate 24/7 with live voice and text and must be ready within two years. Staff would include culturally competent first-responder peer specialists and l…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4203: Voter Empowerment Act of 2026
- 119-s-2120: Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026
- 119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act
- 119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act
- 119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-666 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/666)

## Related
- [119-s-4203: Voter Empowerment Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4203)
- [119-s-2120: Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2120)
- [119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5071)
- [119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5022)
- [119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2819)
- [119-s-1541: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1541)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-666 (as of 2025-12-21).