Emergency personnel will receive much-needed mental health resources thanks to two bills signed into law on Wednesday. Wisconsin Act 219 directs the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) to establish a pilot program to provide virtual behavioral health crisis care services for county or municipal law enforcement agency officers to utilize while on duty. It also requires them to contract with certified county crisis agencies to provide the services. In a similar move, Wisconsin Act 220 requires the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish and implement a program for peer support teams and critical incident stress management teams for certain public safety personnel to provide emotional and moral support and coping mechanisms for personnel and volunteers affected by stress or an incident. The latter was called Assembly Bill 576 when Rep. Joel Kitchens introduced it after conversations with Door County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Pat McCarty. While most Americans might experience one critical incident in their lifetime, emergency personnel could see dozens, if not hundreds. McCarty is happy that his conversations with Kitchens turned into action in Madison.

Evers signed 27 other bills to improve community safety and reduce crime. That includes the Kitchens-introduced Kelsey Smith Act, which requires wireless providers to turn over device location information to law enforcement without a warrant if a person is in grave danger.