{"format":1,"id":"117-s-1502","congress":117,"number":"S. 1502","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"COPS Counseling Act","title_source":"Short Titles as Enacted","official_title":"A bill to make Federal law enforcement officer peer support communications confidential, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"A bill to make Federal law enforcement officer peer support communications confidential, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text","title":"Confidentiality Opportunities for Peer Support Counseling Act"},{"type":"Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text","title":"COPS Counseling Act"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"COPS Counseling Act"},{"type":"Short Titles as Enacted","title":"COPS Counseling Act"},{"type":"Short Titles as Enacted","title":"Confidentiality Opportunities for Peer Support Counseling Act"},{"type":"Short Titles as Passed House","title":"COPS Counseling Act"},{"type":"Short Titles as Passed House","title":"Confidentiality Opportunities for Peer Support Counseling Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed Senate","title":"COPS Counseling Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed Senate","title":"Confidentiality Opportunities for Peer Support Counseling Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"COPS Counseling Act"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Confidentiality Opportunities for Peer Support Counseling Act"}],"outcome":"became_law","law_number":"Public Law 117-60","introduced":"2021-04-29","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2021-10-27","vote":{"id":"117-2021-h337","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass","title":"Confidentiality Opportunities for Peer Support Counseling Act","result":"Passed","yea":424,"nay":3,"present":0,"not_voting":4,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2021/roll337.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"voice","date":"2021-06-07","vote":null,"how":"unanimous_consent","words":"Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S3965-3966)"}},"president":{"status":"signed","date":"2021-11-18"},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Became Public Law No: 117-60.","date":"2021-11-18"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2021-11-18","stage":"Public Law","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Confidentiality Opportunities for Peer Support Counseling Act or the COPS Counseling Act"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill sets forth requirements related to peer support counseling programs. A peer support counseling program is a program provided by a law enforcement agency that provides counseling services from a peer support specialist to a law enforcement officer of the agency."},{"k":"p","t":"Among other things, the bill does the following:"},{"k":"li","t":"generally prohibits the disclosure of the contents of a peer support communication, and","d":1},{"k":"li","t":"requires the Department of Justice to develop best practices and professional standards for peer support counseling programs.","d":1}],"words":92},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Makes peer support communications between Federal law enforcement officers and peer support specialists confidential, with listed exceptions, and directs the Attorney General to develop a report on best practices for peer support counseling programs for first responder agencies.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1502/text/enr#idA4ED533ECACF48DA96DB38E4D4AFB9C0:~:text=2.%20Confidentiality%20of%20peer%20support%20communications"},{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1502/text/enr#idB18B2D921ACD406D9FD723C8B073E45F:~:text=3.%20Best%20practices%20and%20support"}]},"core_areas":["Confidentiality of Federal law enforcement peer support communications","Best practices and standards for first responder peer support counseling programs"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Prohibits a peer support specialist or peer support participant from disclosing the contents of a peer support communication to an individual who was not a party to it, except as the Act provides.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1502/text/enr#idA4ED533ECACF48DA96DB38E4D4AFB9C0:~:text=2.%20Confidentiality%20of%20peer%20support%20communications"}},{"text":"Allows disclosure when the communication contains an explicit threat of suicide with an intent and a plan or means, an explicit threat of imminent and serious physical bodily harm or death to another individual, information on abuse or neglect of a child or of an older or vulnerable individual, information required by law to be reported, or an admission of criminal conduct.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1502/text/enr#idA4ED533ECACF48DA96DB38E4D4AFB9C0:~:text=2.%20Confidentiality%20of%20peer%20support%20communications"}},{"text":"Allows disclosure when each peer support participant who was a party to the communication or session permits it, when a court of competent jurisdiction issues an order or subpoena requiring it, or when law requires the information to be disclosed.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1502/text/enr#idA4ED533ECACF48DA96DB38E4D4AFB9C0:~:text=2.%20Confidentiality%20of%20peer%20support%20communications"}},{"text":"Requires a peer support specialist to inform a peer support participant in writing of the confidentiality requirement and its exceptions before the participant's first peer support counseling session.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1502/text/enr#idA4ED533ECACF48DA96DB38E4D4AFB9C0:~:text=2.%20Confidentiality%20of%20peer%20support%20communications"}},{"text":"Requires the Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to develop within 2 years of enactment a report on best practices and professional standards for peer support counseling programs for first responder agencies, including a code of ethics and recommendations for continuing education for peer support specialists.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1502/text/enr#idB18B2D921ACD406D9FD723C8B073E45F:~:text=3.%20Best%20practices%20and%20support"}},{"text":"Requires the Attorney General to support implementation of peer support counseling programs in first responder agencies by posting the report and a list of peer support specialist training programs on the Department of Justice website.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1502/text/enr#idB18B2D921ACD406D9FD723C8B073E45F:~:text=3.%20Best%20practices%20and%20support"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"off_subject","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1502/text/enr#id2DA433FAC6FC4A10BCCA4D1381EC483D:~:text=4.%20Sense%20of%20Congress"},"heading":"Sense of Congress","effect":"States the sense of Congress that police officers, sheriffs, and other law enforcement officers deserve the gratitude and respect of Congress; it creates no requirement and does not address peer support confidentiality or best practices.","amount":null,"quote":"who serve with valor, dignity, and integrity deserve the gratitude and respect of Congress."}]}],"version":{"type":"Enrolled Bill","date":null,"rule":"enrolled","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1502/text/enr"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-15","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1502","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1502/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/117-s-1502.png","v":"75058b26faae","alt":"Votes on Record. S. 1502, 117th Congress: COPS Counseling Act. House: 424 Yea, 3 Nay. Senate: unanimous consent. Outcome: Became law, 18 Nov 2021."}}