MA H2529

Executive Office of Health and Human Services would establish the Equitable Approaches to Public Health grant program to fund non-law-enforcement, unarmed community-based response options for emergency calls

Competitive grants would go to partnerships between local governments (acting independently of law enforcement) and nonprofit community-based organizations to develop local systems for de-escalation, violence prevention, and connecting residents to human services

An 8-member board of community stakeholders would make grant decisions, including representatives from the National Association of Social Workers, Department of Mental Health, Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, and Jane Doe Inc.

Grant funds are explicitly prohibited from going to any state, tribal, or local law enforcement agencies and may be used for staffing, training, facilities, emergency dispatcher training, and program evaluation

Executive Office of Health and Human Services must complete a program evaluation and submit a report to the legislature by October 1, 2028, with grant recipients required to file annual reports tracking outcomes including percentage of emergency calls diverted from law enforcement