Coronavirus Mental Health and Addiction Assistance Act of 2021
This bill requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to award grants to establish a network of entities that provide mental health and substance use disorder programs during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. Eligible entities include tribal nations, nonprofit organizations, service providers, and partnerships of two or more eligible entities.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 593 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 593
To establish the Coronavirus Mental Health and Addiction Assistance
Network, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 28, 2021
Mr. Ryan (for himself and Mr. Katko) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Coronavirus Mental Health and Addiction Assistance
Network, 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 ``Coronavirus Mental Health and
Addiction Assistance Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. CORONAVIRUS MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION ASSISTANCE NETWORK.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary''), acting through the
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall make
competitive grants to eligible entities described in subsection (c) to
establish a Coronavirus Mental Health and Addiction Assistance Network
that provides programs for assisting individuals in managing mental
health and substance use disorders during or in connection to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
(b) Eligible Programs.--Grants awarded under subsection (a) may be
used--
(1) to initiate, expand, or sustain programs that provide
professional mental health and substance use disorder
counseling and referral for other forms of assistance as
necessary to assist in the management of mental health and
substance use disorders during or in connection to the COVID-19
pandemic, through--
(A) telephone helplines and websites;
(B) training, including training programs and
workshops;
(C) support groups;
(D) outreach and support activities, including the
dissemination of information, materials, and equipment
to clients for remote access to mental health and
substance use disorder services; and
(E) telehealth services; or
(2) to enter into contracts, on a multiyear basis, with
community-based, direct-service organizations to initiate,
expand, or sustain programs described in paragraph (1) and
subsection (a).
(c) Eligible Entities.--The Secretary may award a grant under this
section to an entity that provides evidence-based services and is--
(1) an Indian tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.
5304)) or an urban Indian organization (as defined in section 4
of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603));
(2) a qualified nonprofit organization, as determined by
the Secretary;
(3) an entity providing appropriate services, as determined
by the Secretary, in 1 or more States; or
(4) a partnership carried out by 2 or more entities
described in any of paragraphs (1) through (3).
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000, for the fiscal
year ending September 30, 2021, to remain available until expended, or
until the date that is 1 year after the conclusion of the public health
emergency declared by the Secretary under section 319 of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) on January 30, 2020, with respect
to COVID-19, whichever is earlier.
(e) Report to Congress, Agencies, and Public.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the amount
appropriated under subsection (d) is no longer available, the
Secretary shall submit to Congress and any other relevant
Federal department or agency, and make publicly available, a
report describing the success of the Coronavirus Mental Health
and Addiction Assistance Network under this section in
assisting in managing mental health and substance use disorders
during or in connection to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2) Contents.--The report under paragraph (1) shall
include--
(A) an inventory and assessment of efforts, to
support individuals seeking to manage mental health and
substance use disorders during or in connection to the
COVID-19 pandemic, by--
(i) the Federal Government, States, and
units of local government;
(ii) communities comprised of individuals
seeking to manage mental health and substance
use disorders during or in connection to the
COVID-19 pandemic;
(iii) health care providers; and
(iv) other appropriate entities, as
determined by the Secretary;
(B) a description of the challenges faced by
individuals seeking to manage mental health and
substance use disorders during or in connection to the
COVID-19 pandemic;
(C) a description of how the Secretary can improve
coordination and cooperation with other Federal health
departments and agencies, including other subagencies
of the Department of Health and Human Services such as
the Health Resources and Services Administration, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the
National Institutes of Health, to best address the
mental health and substance use disorders of
individuals who are seeking to manage mental health and
substance use disorders during or in connection to the
COVID-19 pandemic; and
(D) an evaluation of the impact that mental health
and substance use disorder challenges and health
outcomes (including suicide) experienced during or in
connection to the COVID-19 pandemic have on--
(i) the health care workforce and
occupations related to pandemic preparedness
and response;
(ii) workforce readiness in new occupations
for employees whose jobs became obsolete; and
(iii) community resilience.
<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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