§ 50902. Best practices and support

• (a) In this section:
  • (1) The term “first responder” has the meaning given the term “public safety officer” in section 10284 of this title .
  • (2) The term “first responder agency” means a Federal, State, local, or Tribal agency that employs or otherwise engages the services of a first responder.
  • (3) The term “peer support counseling program” means a program provided by a first responder agency that provides counseling services from a peer support specialist to a first responder of the first responder agency.
  • (4) The term “peer support participant” means a first responder who receives counseling services from a peer support specialist.
  • (5) The term “peer support specialist” means a first responder who—
    • (A) has received training in—
      • (i) peer support counseling; and
      • (ii) providing emotional and moral support to first responders who have been involved in or exposed to an emotionally traumatic experience in the course of the duties of those first responders; and
    • (B) is designated by a first responder agency to provide the services described in subparagraph (A).
• (b) Not later than 2 years after November 18, 2021 , the Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall develop a report on best practices and professional standards for peer support counseling programs for first responder agencies that includes—
  • (1) advice on—
    • (A) establishing and operating peer support counseling programs; and
    • (B) training and certifying peer support specialists;
  • (2) a code of ethics for peer support specialists;
  • (3) recommendations for continuing education for peer support specialists;
  • (4) advice on disclosing to first responders any confidentiality rights of peer support participants; and
  • (5) information on—
    • (A) the different types of peer support counseling programs in use by first responder agencies;
    • (B) any differences in peer support counseling programs offered across categories of first responders; and
    • (C) the important role senior first responders play in supporting access to mental health resources.
• (c) The Attorney General shall support and encourage the implementation of peer support counseling programs in first responder agencies by—
  • (1) making the report developed under subsection (b) publicly available on the website of the Department of Justice; and
  • (2) providing a list of peer support specialist training programs on the website of the Department of Justice.