Preventing Mental Health and Substance Use Crises During Emergencies Act
This bill establishes a task force and requires a strategy to address mental health and substance use issues during public health emergencies.
The Department of Health and Human Services must convene the task force to assess the federal response to such issues during and after the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency.
In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must develop and annually update the strategy. The task force's work must inform the strategy.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 434 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 434
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to convene a task
force to advise the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance
Use on a national strategy for preventing mental health and substance
use crises during a public health emergency, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 21, 2021
Mr. Trone (for himself and Mr. Womack) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to convene a task
force to advise the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance
Use on a national strategy for preventing mental health and substance
use crises during a public health emergency, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Preventing Mental Health and
Substance Use Crises During Emergencies Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States invests annually in the public mental
health of Americans.
(2) Congress appropriated $5.87 billion in fiscal year 2021
to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services.
(3) Funds are also appropriated to address mental health
and substance use in targeted populations through the
Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of the Interior,
and the National Institute for Mental Health.
(4) On January 31, 2020, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services declared a public health emergency due to the spread
of COVID-19, and extended such declaration, more recently, on
January 7, 2021.
(5) In August 2020, Congress provided an additional $725
million in supplemental funding to augment mental health and
substance use services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(6) Such supplemental funding included $425 million to the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, of
which--
(A) $110 million was allocated for emergency grants
for behavioral health services;
(B) $250 million was allocated for the Certified
Community Behavioral Health Centers program; and
(C) $50 million was allocated for suicide
prevention.
(7) In December 2020, Congress provided an additional $4.25
billion in supplemental funding to the Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration to provide increased
mental health and substance use services and support.
(8) The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated concerns about
the mental health and well-being of Americans.
(9) A third of Americans are feeling severe anxiety,
according to Census Bureau data, and nearly a quarter show
signs of depression.
(10) A recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found
that the pandemic had negatively affected the mental health of
56 percent of adults.
(11) In April 2020, texts to a Federal emergency mental-
health line were up 1,000 percent from the year before.
(12) The situation is particularly dire for certain
vulnerable groups that face a significant risk of post-
traumatic stress disorder, including--
(A) health care workers;
(B) COVID-19 patients with severe cases; and
(C) individuals who have lost loved ones.
(13) In overburdened intensive-care units, delirious
patients are seeing chilling hallucinations.
(14) At least two overwhelmed emergency medical workers
have died by suicide since the beginning of the COVID-19
pandemic.
(15) The public mental health crisis will continue after
the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
(b) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States to
protect the health and safety of all Americans during public health
emergencies and to proactively lead public health efforts to advance
the mental health of the Nation.
SEC. 3. TASK FORCE TO PREVENT MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE CRISES.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in
this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall convene a task
force known as the Task Force to Prevent Mental Health and Substance
Use Crises (in this section referred to as the ``Task Force'') to--
(1) assess the response of the Federal Government with
respect to mental health and substance use during and after the
spread of COVID-19; and
(2) advise the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and
Substance Use on a national strategy for preventing mental
health and substance use crises during a public health
emergency.
(b) Assessment.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Task Force
shall assess--
(1) the efficacy, outcomes, and cost of each Federal
initiative taken during the spread of COVID-19 to support
mental health and address substance use, including an
identification of--
(A) any initiative that was not successful; and
(B) best practices and strategies;
(2) the ability of Federal agencies to coordinate mental
health programs and services and allocate resources to respond
to a public health emergency;
(3) the ability of Federal agencies to use technology
developed through the Small Business Innovation Research
Program established under section 9 of the Small Business Act
(15 U.S.C. 638) to respond to a public health emergency;
(4) the ability of Federal, State, and local agencies to
coordinate with other government agencies, nonprofit
organizations, and entities in the private sector during a
public health emergency;
(5) any needed improvements to coordination described in
paragraphs (1) and (2);
(6) a review of research programs of the Federal agencies
listed in subsection (c)(3) with respect to mental health and
substance use during a public health emergency; and
(7) a review of the amount of funds used by such Federal
agencies to support mental health and address substance use
during a public health emergency.
(c) Membership.--
(1) Chair.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall appoint an
individual to serve as the Chair of the Task Force.
(2) Composition.--The Task Force shall be composed of--
(A) representatives of Federal agencies, including
the agencies listed in paragraph (3);
(B) representatives of nongovernmental
organizations;
(C) patient advocates; and
(D) State and local public health experts who
specialize in mental health and substance use.
(3) Federal agencies.--The agencies represented under
paragraph (2)(A) shall, at a minimum, include the following:
(A) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(B) The National Institute of Mental Health.
(C) The National Institutes of Health.
(D) The National Institute on Drug Abuse.
(E) The Food and Drug Administration.
(F) The Health Resources and Services
Administration.
(G) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration.
(H) The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
(I) The Administration for Children and Families.
(J) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
(K) The Department of the Interior.
(L) The Department of Veterans Affairs.
(M) The Department of Education.
(N) The Department of Defense.
(O) The Department of Justice.
(P) The Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
(Q) The Administration for Community Living.
(R) The Indian Health Service.
(S) The Department of Labor.
(d) Meetings.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall convene a meeting of the
Task Force and shall convene subsequent meetings on a periodic basis.
(e) Submissions to Congress.--
(1) Progress report.--Not later than one year after the
date of the enactment of this section, the Task Force shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on
the progress of the Task Force in carrying out subsection (a).
(2) Final report.--Not later than two years after the date
of the enactment of this section, the Task Force shall submit,
and update on an annual basis, to the appropriate congressional
committees a report on the activities of the Task Force in
carrying out subsection (a), including--
(A) the results of the assessment under subsection
(b); and
(B) any findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
(f) Disposition of Records.--Upon dissolution of the Task Force,
the records of the Task Force shall become records of the Assistant
Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use.
(g) Public Health Emergency Defined.--In this section, the term
``public health emergency'' means a public health emergency declared
pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
247d).
SEC. 4. NATIONAL STRATEGY ON MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DURING A
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.
Section 501 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (q) as subsection (r); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (p) the following:
``(q) National Strategy During Public Health Emergencies.--Not
later than 30 months after the date of the enactment of this
subsection, and annually thereafter, the Assistant Secretary shall
prepare and submit a national strategy to the appropriate congressional
committees on preventing mental health and substance use crises during
a public health emergency. Such strategy shall be based on the reports
submitted to Congress by the Task Force to Prevent Mental Health and
Substance Use Crises and include--
``(1) advancements in research with respect to mental
health and substance use during a public health emergency; and
``(2) a plan to increase the ability of Federal agencies to
coordinate mental health programs and services and allocate
resources to respond to a public health emergency.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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