New Bill Proposes $300M Grant Program for Corrections Officer Mental Health Screenings Starting FY2026

This legislation, the Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act of 2025, aims to tackle mental health challenges faced by corrections officers. It proposes establishing a federal grant program, directing the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to create its own internal program, and setting up an Advisory Board for oversight. The core idea is to fund mental health screenings and connect officers needing support with care providers, backed by significant federal dollars authorized from fiscal year 2026 through 2030.

Putting Mental Health Checks on the Duty Roster

The heart of the bill (Section 2) is a new grant program managed by the Attorney General. State and local governments running eligible detention centers (prisons or jails) can apply for funds to set up mental health screening programs for their corrections officers. To get the money, they need a plan, including hiring a mental health liaison. The grants can pay for creating and administering brief, anonymous mental health surveys (5-10 questions based on existing standards like the Employee Assistance Program), developing the tech needed, hiring staff, and funding outreach teams. These teams, composed of mental health pros and potentially detention center staff, would step in when a screening flags an officer potentially dealing with severe mental illness (like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression), referring them to local providers for assessment and support.

Federal Facilities Get Their Own Program

It's not just state and local facilities; the Bureau of Prisons gets marching orders too (Section 3). Within 90 days of the Act passing, the BOP must establish its own program to develop and administer similar mental health surveys for federal corrections officers. Like the grant-funded programs, the BOP will also need to create and manage an outreach team to connect officers with mental health care when necessary.

Keeping Tabs: The Advisory Board

To make sure everything runs smoothly and taxpayer money is used effectively, the bill establishes an Advisory Board (Section 4). Managed by the Attorney General and appointed within 60 days, this board will approve state/local plans, monitor the BOP's efforts, provide technical assistance, and coordinate best practices. Importantly, the Board has teeth – it can demand changes if a program isn't working and even reduce funding. A key task is developing a confidential self-reporting process, aiming to overcome officers' potential fears about seeking help impacting their job or benefits.

Following the Funding Trail

The bill authorizes substantial funding (Section 5): starting at $50 million for FY2026 and ramping up to $70 million by FY2030, totaling $300 million over five years. The breakdown is specific: 90% goes to the state/local grant program (split 20% states, 50% local) and the BOP program (20%). The remaining 10% funds the Advisory Board's evaluation and operational activities. The bill also clearly defines terms like 'corrections officer,' 'eligible detention center,' and 'severe mental illness' to ensure clarity on who and what is covered (Section 6).