Safe Interactions Act of 2023

This bill creates a federal grant program to fund training for law enforcement officers on interacting with people with disabilities and older adults with cognitive impairments. Nonprofit disability organizations will receive grants to develop training programs requiring at least 8 hours of mandatory training for new officers (including 4 hours of interactive learning with covered individuals) and 4 hours of annual refresher training for existing officers. The training covers communication strategies, de-escalation techniques, identifying disabilities, and community resources, with a requirement that covered individuals serve as instructors. Funded at $100 million annually through 2026, the program aims to reduce violent encounters based on findings that people with disabilities are 2.5 times more likely to be victims of violent crime and disproportionately affected by police violence.