,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ccib  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #d1     
#bjbj,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,markey1 and ,mr4 ,blumenthal7          
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,homeland ,security and   
,governmental ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
expand and improve access to            
trauma-informed mental health           
interventions for newly arriving        
immigrants at the border1 to alleviate  
the stress of and provide education for 
border agents1 and for other purposes4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,immigrants' ,mental ,health    
,act of #bjbj4  #b4 ,definitions ,in    
this ,act3 7#a7 ,administrator ,the term
 ,administrator means the ,administrator
 of the ,health ,resources and ,services
 ,administration of the ,department of  
,health and ,human ,services4  7#b7     
,appropriate congressional committees   
,the term appropriate congressional     

committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee  
on ,appropriations of the ,senate2  7,b7
 the ,committee on ,homeland ,security  
and ,governmental ,affairs of the       
,senate2  7,c7 the ,committee on        
,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and        
,pensions of the ,senate2  7,d7 the     
,committee on ,appropriations of the    
,house of ,representatives2  7,e7 the   
,committee on ,homeland ,security of the
 ,house of ,representatives2 and  7,f7  
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce 
of the ,house of ,representatives4  7#c7
 ,assistant ,secretary ,the term        
,assistant ,secretary means the         
,assistant ,secretary ,health and ,human
 ,services for ,mental ,health and      
,substance ,use4  7#d7 ,,cbp ,the term  
,,cbp means ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border 
,protection4  7#e7 ,,cbp detention      
facility ,the term ,,cbp detention      
facility means any of the following     
facilities that typically detain        
migrants on behalf of ,,cbp3 7,a7 ,u4,s4
 ,border ,patrol station4  7,b7 ,port of

 entry4  7,c7 ,checkpoint4  7,d7        
,forward operating base4  7,e7          
,secondary inspection area4  7,f7       
,short-term custody facility4  7#f7     
,commissioner ,the term ,commissioner   
means the ,commissioner of ,u4,s4       
,customs and ,border ,protection4  7#g7 
,forward operating base ,the term       
forward operating base means a permanent
 facility established by ,,cbp in       
forward or remote locations1 and        
designated as such by the ,commissioner4
  #c4 ,training for certain ,,cbp       
personnel in mental health issues  7a7  
,training ,to identify risk factors and 
warning signs in immigrants and refugees
  7#a7 ,in general ,the ,commissioner1  
in consultation with the ,assistant     
,secretary1 the ,administrator1 and     
nongovernmental experts in the delivery 
of health care to children in           
humanitarian crises1 shall develop and  
implement a training curriculum for     
,,cbp agents and officers assigned to   
,,cbp detention facilities to enable    

such agents and officers to identify the
 risk factors and warning signs in      
immigrants and refugees of mental health
 issues relating to trauma4  7#b7       
,requirements ,the training curriculum  
required under paragraph 7#a7 shall--   
7,a7 apply to all ,,cbp agents and      
officers working at ,,cbp detention     
facilities2  7,b7 provide for crisis    
intervention using a trauma-informed    
approach2 and  7,c7 provide for mental  
health screenings for immigrants and    
refugees arriving at the border in their
 preferred language or with appropriate 
language assistance4  7b7 ,training ,to 
address mental health and wellness of   
,,cbp agents and officers  7#a7 ,in     
general ,the ,commissioner1 in          
consultation with the ,assistant        
,secretary1 the ,administrator1 and     
nongovernmental experts in the delivery 
of mental health care1 shall develop and
 implement a training curriculum for    
,,cbp agents and officers assigned to   
,,cbp detention facilities to address   

the mental health and wellness of the   
individuals working at such facilities4 
7#b7 ,requirement ,the training         
curriculum required under paragraph 7#a7
 shall be designed to help ,,cbp agents 
and officers working at ,,cbp detention 
facilities-- 7,a7 to better manage their
 own stress and the stress of their     
coworkers2 and  7,b7 to be more aware of
 the psychological pressures experienced
 during their jobs4  7c7 ,annual review 
of training ,beginning on ,october #a1  
#bjba1 the ,assistant ,secretary shall--
 7#a7 conduct an annual review of the   
training implemented pursuant to        
subsections 7a7 and 7b72 and  7#b7      
submit the results of each such review1 
including any recommendations for       
improvement of such training1 to-- 7,a7 
the ,commissioner2 and  7,b7 the        
appropriate congressional committees4   
7d7 ,authorization of appropriations    
,there is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this section-- 7#a7 #ej1jjj
 for fiscal year #bjba1 which shall be  

expended to develop the training        
described in subsections and 7a7 and    
7b72 and  7#b7 for each of the fiscal   
years #bjbb through #bjbf-- 7,a7 #bj1jjj
 to implement the training described in 
subsections 7a7 and 7b72 and  7,b7 such 
sums as may be necessary to review1 and 
make recommendations for1 such training 
pursuant to subsection 7c74  #d4        
,staffing border facilities and         
detention centers  7a7 ,staffing border 
facilities  7#a7 ,in general ,the       
,commissioner shall assign at least #a  
qualified mental or behavioral health   
expert to each ,,cbp detention facility 
to adequately evaluate the mental health
 needs of immigrants1 refugees1 border  
patrol agents1 and staff4  7#b7         
,qualifications ,a mental or behavioral 
health expert shall be considered to be 
qualified under paragraph 7#a7 if he or 
she-- 7,a7 is bilingual2  7,b7 is       
well-versed in culturally appropriate   
and trauma-informed interventions2 and  
7,c7 has particular expertise in child  

or adolescent mental health or family   
mental health4  7b7 ,authorization of   
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated #c1jjj1jjj for each of  
the fiscal years #bjba through #bjbe to 
carry out this section4  #e4 ,no sharing
 of ,department of ,health and ,human   
,services mental health information for 
immigration hearings1 asylum            
determinations1 or removal proceedings  
,the officers1 employees1 and agents of 
the ,department of ,health and ,human   
,services1 including the ,office of     
,refugee ,resettlement1 may not share   
with the ,department of ,homeland       
,security1 and the officers1 employees1 
and agents of the ,department of        
,homeland ,security may not request or  
receive from the ,department of ,health 
and ,human ,services1 for purposes of an
 immigration hearing1 an asylum         
determination1 or a deportation         
proceeding1 any information or record-- 
7#a7 related to the mental health of an 
alien2 or  7#b7 that was obtained or    

produced by a mental or behavioral      
health professional while the alien was 
in a shelter or otherwise in the custody
 of the ,federal ,government4