Press Release

U.S. Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-07) today voted for a bipartisan legislative package that would increase funding for our nation’s law enforcement and public safety programs, while making concrete investments in mental health and community violence intervention resources.

The Bera-supported legislative package that passed the U.S. House of Representatives today included H.R. 8542, Mental Health Justice Act of 2022, H.R. 4118, Break the Cycle of Violence Act, H.R. 5768, VICTIM Act of 2022, and H.R. 6448, Invest to Protect Act of 2022.

“Our nation’s first responders go above and beyond the call of duty to keep our communities safe and protected. We need to better equip them with the necessary resources and staffing to keep our communities safe while also investing in commonsense solutions to prevent violent crime,” said Representative Bera. “This legislative package will ensure that local police departments will be able to hire and retain more officers, while maintaining accountability and strengthening the bonds between them and the communities they are sworn to serve.”

Specifically, the legislative package would:

1. Fund law enforcement by authorizing $300 million in grants for smaller local law enforcement agencies to support officer recruitment and retention and enhance training;
2. Bolster the ability of police forces to solve homicides and other violent crimes by authorizing $100 million annually to law enforcement agencies to hire and retain detectives to investigate unsolved homicides and non-fatal shootings;
3. Increase mental health resources by authorizing $250 million annually in assistance for local governments to employ and dispatch mental health first responder units to situations involving individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis; and
4. Help break the cycle of violence in communities by authorizing significant grant funding to invest in locally-developed, evidence-based community violence intervention programs.

Representative Bera has long been a strong supporter of our law enforcement and public safety programs. He voted for the American Rescue Plan, which kept law enforcement on the job and public safety intact during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to funding Rep. Bera secured in the American Rescue Plan, the Citrus Heights Police Department was able to hire 22 positions in its department. Bera recently secured $520,000 in FY 22 Community Project Funding for the Elk Grove Police department to upgrade its communications and dispatch center. He also voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant gun violence prevention law in decades.

Click here for more information on Rep. Bera’s efforts to support Sacramento County law enforcement and public safety programs.