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House adds 911 operators to mental‑health first‑aid requirement for first responders
Summary
House Bill 570, which expands mental‑health first‑aid training to first responders, was amended on the floor to include 911 operators and passed unanimously in the recorded tally in the transcript.
House Bill 570, a bill to provide Mental Health First Aid training to first responders across Mississippi, passed on final passage after the House adopted a floor amendment to add 911 operators to the covered group. The recorded tally in the transcript was about 117 yes, 0 nays.
The sponsor explained that the measure expands a program first enacted in 2022 for police officers and trains first responders to recognize mental‑health crises, de‑escalate those situations and connect people to services. The bill requires an eight‑hour course and allows a six‑year implementation period for all covered first responders. The sponsor said the Department of Mental Health will administer the program and estimated the six‑year cost at roughly $349,000.
A floor amendment to add 911 operators was offered and adopted. The sponsor said the change was limited to adding operators to the covered cohort. Colleagues commended the bill as a life‑saving training for emergency personnel; one member who formerly served in law enforcement said he wished such training had been available when he served. After debate and amendment, the House adopted final passage and the bill passed as recorded in the transcript.
