Congressman Derek Tran Leads Bipartisan Push to Improve First Responders’ Mental Health and Safety

Garden Grove, CA – To strengthen first responders’ mental health and safety, frontline candidate and Democratic nominee Derek Tran, who represents the most competitive House seat in Southern California, introduced bipartisan legislation to invest in mental health training infrastructure for firefighters and law enforcement.

The Emergency Responders Mental Health Training (EMT) Act would establish a post-graduate fellowship program to ensure mental health professionals have the appropriate resources to support first responders.

“Across Southern California, our brave first responders put themselves in harm’s way to keep the community safe every day,” said Congressman Tran. “With the bipartisan EMT Act, first responders will have the necessary support from trained mental health professionals. As an Army Veteran, I know firsthand the importance of supporting first responders’ mental and physical health. I’m proud to join my colleagues in this push and call on Congress to pass this legislation.”

Specifically, the EMT Act would:

• Establish fellowships for post-paccalaureate training, including master’s and doctoral degrees across fields such as psychiatry, nursing, social work, psychology, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, and addiction counseling;

• Authorize $10 million annually for five years to support these fellowships; and

• Require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to report to Congress on the program’s implementation and results.

The legislation is endorsed by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Fraternal Order of Police, National Association of Police Organizations, Peace Officers Association of California, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, Council on Social Work Education, National Association of Social Workers, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National League for Nursing, American Ambulance Association, National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, and Falck Ambulances Services Inc.

Congressman Tran has been a strong advocate for strengthened public safety across Orange and Los Angeles Counties. In January, Tran secured $1 million for the HOPE Center in Fullerton to ensure mental health professionals are dispatched alongside law enforcement when residents are experiencing mental health crises. As a member of the Bipartisan Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, Tran has cosponsored several bills to strengthen officer safety, including:

• H.R.6601, The CARE for First Responders Act to expand mental health and substance use services and on-site support for first responders;

• H.R.5319, The Bipartisan Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program Expansion Act to assist local governments with purchasing protective equipment for officers; and

• H.R.309, The National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support, and Community Outreach Act to improve wellness programs for officers.

Recognizing Tran’s record standing with public safety professionals, his reelection is supported by the largest associations of deputy sheriffs and district attorney investigators in Orange and Los Angeles Counties, the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs and the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs. Tran is also endorsed by the California Fraternal Order of Police, an organization representing nearly 20,000 law enforcement officers across California.