HF265

HF265 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Public safety program for responding to mental health crisis emergency calls required, and civil cause of action provided.

AI Generated Summary

This bill, known as Brent’s Law, aims to improve how emergency services respond to mental health crises. It proposes changes to ensure that when someone calls 911 during a mental health emergency, they are directed to specialized mental health crisis teams, rather than solely police or medical services. The bill requires that:

The 911 system includes mental health crisis response as a primary option.
Emergency call operators receive training to recognize mental health crises.
The Statewide Emergency Communications Board monitors compliance with these new protocols.

Additionally, the bill creates legal consequences for government entities that fail to properly operate these systems, allowing individuals affected by such failures to seek damages, including attorney fees. Essentially, this legislation aims to make mental health crisis responses more effective and to hold responsible parties accountable for failures in the service.

Bill text versions

Introduction PDF file

Actions

Date	Chamber	Where	Type	Name	Committee Name
February 09, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Introduction and first reading, referred to	Public Safety Finance and Policy
February 16, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Author added

Citations

[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Requirement for 911 systems to include referrals to mental health crisis teams."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "This bill references the requirement for referral to mental health crisis teams as primary responders where available, under section 256B.0624 subdivision 4.",
      "modified": [
        "Expands the role of mental health crisis teams within the 911 system."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "256B.0624 subdivision 4"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Employment of mental health practitioners for screening 911 calls for potential mental health crises."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "The bill references employing mental health practitioners as per section 245I.04 subdivision 4 for 911 call screening.",
      "modified": [
        "Defines the role and employment of mental health professionals in call screening."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "245I.04 subdivision 4"
  }
]