RUFUS – Lieutenant Governor Gregory Brentwood, acting as Governor, today signed an Adamson-sponsored bill aimed at reducing mental health crises for law enforcement officials across the state, mandating a monthly mental health screening as part of the Administration’s efforts to support law enforcement and their mental health.

“Today this bill, which Governor Adamson and I are extremely proud of, will ensure that our wonderful law enforcement officials are being looked after,” said Lt. Governor Gregory Brentwood. “This bill is an extremely important bill that safeguards are law enforcement officers and ensures they are fully fit for duty. We are proud that it passed.”

Mesa Highway Patrol Commissioner Lewis Donaldson also said this bill is a major step to ensuring law enforcement are taken care of. He praised the Governor and Lt. Governor for their hardline support for its passage.

“As Lt. Governor Brentwood said, I could not be more grateful for leadership that has our guys’ best interests at heart and for their steadfast support for our field,” said Commissioner Donaldson. “I can’t help but praise this administration for their support and their hardline support to getting the bill passed. This will help so many of law enforcement officials who are quietly struggling.”

The bill is now law and is called the Protecting The Mental Health And Safety Of Mesa Law Enforcement Officials Law. It was co-sponsored by all State Senators and all Representatives and has been received well by law enforcement agencies across the state.

The law now requires and mandates cooperation with monthly mental health screenings. The bill resulted from a 2021 suicide of two Alden County Deputies after struggling with mental health. The timeframe that each evaluation must take place is 30 days from the last time an evaluation was completed.

The screenings will need to be conducted monthly starting in June, to give agencies across Mesa time to create and establish dedicated screenings and hire mental health professionals to conduct the monthly screenings. The law also provides a mental health concerns report form that is annoymous.