1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Preventing Tragedies Between Police and Communities Act of 2017 . 2. Training on de-escalation for law enforcement (a) Training requirement For each fiscal year after the expiration of the period specified in subsection (d) in which a State or unit of local government receives a grant under part E of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 3750 et seq.), the State or unit of local government shall require that all individuals enrolled in an academy of a law enforcement agency of the State or unit of local government and all law enforcement officers of the State or unit of local government fulfill a training session on de-escalation techniques each fiscal year, including— (1) the use of alternative non-lethal methods of applying force and techniques that prevent the officer from escalating any situation where force is likely to be used; (2) verbal and physical tactics to minimize the need for the use of force, with an emphasis on communication, negotiation, de-escalation techniques, providing the time needed to resolve the incident safely for everyone; (3) the use of the lowest level of force that is a possible and safe response to an identified threat, then re-evaluating the threat as it progresses; (4) techniques that provide all officers with awareness and recognition of mental health and substance abuse issues with an emphasis on communication strategies, training officers simultaneously in teams on de-escalation and use of force to improve group dynamics and diminish excessive use of force during critical incidents; (5) principles of using distance, cover, and time when approaching and managing critical incidents, and elimination of the use of concepts like the 21-foot rule and drawing a line in the sand in favor of using distance and cover to create a reaction gap