Lifeline for First Responders Act
Sponsored By: Representative Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6]
Introduced
Summary
EMS and First Responder Wellness Grants would create a federal grant program to fund mental health care, suicide prevention, peer support, and family services for emergency medical services and first responders. The program would be run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Emergency Medical Services.
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- First responders and EMS agencies: Federal, state, tribal, and local fire services that provide EMS, emergency medical services agencies, and dispatch centers would be eligible to apply for grants to pay for evidence-based stress reduction, confidential counseling, peer support, training, and technical assistance.
- Families of responders: Grants can fund family support services for spouses and children, plus outreach and stigma-reduction education to encourage help-seeking.
*Would authorize $7.5 million per year for fiscal years 2028 through 2032 and would affect the federal budget only if Congress later appropriates those funds.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Mental Health Grants for First Responders
If enacted, the bill would create the EMS and First Responder Wellness Grant Program run by the Department of Transportation through NHTSA's Office of Emergency Medical Services. Federal, State, Tribal, and local fire services that provide emergency medical services, EMS agencies, and dispatch centers would be eligible for grants. Grants would fund evidence-based stress reduction, mental-health services, suicide prevention and postvention, confidential counseling and peer support, family services for spouses and children, training, outreach, and technical assistance. The bill would authorize $7.5 million per year for each of fiscal years 2028 through 2032; the program would start upon enactment and would need future appropriations after 2032 to continue.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6]
OR • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Evans, Gabe [R-CO-8]
CO • R
Sponsored 8/17/2026
Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3]
KS • D
Sponsored 8/17/2026
Rep. Kean, Thomas H. [R-NJ-7]
NJ • R
Sponsored 8/17/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov