Chris Pappas (D-NH)
National ACERT Grant Program Authorization Act
A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 4 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the ``National ACERT Grant Program Authorization Act'', seeks to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. It aims to establish the Adverse Childhood Experiences Response Team grant program. Through this program, the Attorney General will provide grants to various entities to address childhood trauma. These funds are intended to help respond to and mitigate the effects of adverse childhood experiences. The bill authorizes specific funding for this purpose over several years.
Yes· 3 of 10
- Scored +8
Would children be better off under this?
The bill specifically targets addressing adverse childhood experiences and supporting children exposed to trauma.
- Scored +7
Does this make mental health care easier to get?
The bill provides funding to establish referral partnerships with behavioral health providers and integrate mental health services.
- Scored +5
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill facilitates access to services for children and youth exposed to trauma through new protocols and partnerships.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Addressing childhood trauma: The Attorney General will make grants to States, local governments, Indian Tribes, and community organizations to address adverse childhood experiences associated with exposure to trauma (Section 2, SEC. 3051(a)).
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Improving access to services: Funds can be used to establish protocols that help children and youth who have been exposed to trauma access necessary services (Section 2, SEC. 3051(b)(1)).
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Connecting families to help: The program allows for the development of referral partnerships with behavioral health providers, substance treatment facilities, and recovery services for family members (Section 2, SEC. 3051(b)(2)).
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Coordinated crisis response: The bill supports integrating law enforcement, mental health, and crisis services to respond to situations involving children exposed to trauma (Section 2, SEC. 3051(b)(3)).
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Community support and training: Grants can fund comprehensive programs to support children, identify barriers to care, and provide training in trauma-informed care to various community partners and service providers (Section 2, SEC. 3051(b)(4)-(6)).
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System-wide collaboration: The bill supports planning and collaboration between different systems, such as law enforcement, court systems, and health care services (Section 2, SEC. 3051(b)(7)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would children be better off under this? — The bill specifically targets addressing adverse childhood experiences and supporting children exposed to trauma. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill explicitly authorizes grants to Indian Tribes to address childhood trauma. Would students be better off under this? — The bill involves training for educational institutions to better support students exposed to trauma. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Community-based organizations receiving these grants often serve low-income populations. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — The program assists youth in accessing necessary services following trauma.
- Healthcare
- Does this make mental health care easier to get? — The bill provides funding to establish referral partnerships with behavioral health providers and integrate mental health services. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill facilitates access to services for children and youth exposed to trauma through new protocols and partnerships. Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths? — The bill supports connections to substance treatment facilities and recovery services for families affected by trauma.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this change how police departments operate? — The bill integrates law enforcement with mental health and crisis services to improve responses to traumatized youth.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into public schools? — The bill provides training in trauma-informed care for educational institutions.
- 2/9/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/24/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/5/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/23/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Sharice DavidsDemocrat · Kansas
Brian FitzpatrickRepublican · Pennsylvania
Josh GottheimerDemocrat · New Jersey
John RutherfordRepublican · Florida