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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2904 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2904
To address mental health issues for youth, particularly youth of color,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 10, 2025
Mrs. Watson Coleman (for herself, Ms. Norton, Mr. Fields, Mr. Thanedar,
Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin,
Mr. Carson, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mrs. McIver, Mr. Carter of
Louisiana, and Mr. Bell) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To address mental health issues for youth, particularly youth of color,
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 ``Pursuing Equity in Mental Health
Act''.
SEC. 2. PRIMARY AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE GRANT PROGRAM.
Section 520K of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-42)
is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (i) as
subsections (e) through (j), respectively;
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
``(d) Special Consideration Regarding Services for Racial and
Ethnic Minority Groups.--In awarding grants under subsection (b), the
Secretary may, as appropriate, give special consideration to eligible
entities serving a high proportion of racial and ethnic minority
groups.'';
(3) in subsection (c)(2)(G), by striking ``subsection (e)''
and inserting ``subsection (f)'';
(4) in subsection (i) (as redesignated by paragraph (1))--
(A) by striking ``subsection (f)'' and inserting
``subsection (g)''; and
(B) by striking ``subsection (d)(2)'' and inserting
``subsection (e)(2)''; and
(5) in subsection (j)(1) (as redesignated by paragraph
(1)), by striking ``$60,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023
through 2027'' and inserting ``$60,000,000 for fiscal year 2025
and $80,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031''.
SEC. 3. ADDRESSING RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES
RESEARCH GAPS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 9 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institutes of
Health, in consultation with the Director of the National Institute of
Mental Health, the Director of the National Institute on Minority
Health and Health Disparities, and the Assistant Secretary for Mental
Health and Substance Use, shall seek to enter into an arrangement with
the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (or, if
the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine decline
to enter into such an arrangement, the Patient-Centered Outcomes
Research Institute or another appropriate entity) under which the
National Academies (or such other appropriate entity, as the case may
be) agrees--
(1) to conduct a study with respect to mental health
disparities research gaps in racial and ethnic minority groups
(as defined in section 1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 300u-6(g))); and
(2) to submit to Congress a report on the results of such
study, including--
(A) a compilation of information on the prevalence
of mental health outcomes in such racial and ethnic
minority groups;
(B) an assessment of information on the impact of
exposure to community violence, adverse childhood
experiences, structural bias, and other psychological
traumas on mental health outcomes in such racial and
minority groups; and
(C) a selection of potential recommendations that
can remedy the research gap in such racial and ethnic
minority groups.
(b) Study and Report Conducted by AHRQ.--If no arrangement can be
made with an entity specified in subsection (a), the Director of the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shall conduct the study and
submit the report, as described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of such
subsection.
SEC. 4. HEALTH PROFESSIONS COMPETENCIES TO ADDRESS RACIAL AND ETHNIC
MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES.
Section 597 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290ll) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections
(c) and (d), respectively;
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
``(b) Best Practices; Core Competencies.--An individual receiving a
fellowship under subsection (a), or an entity selected by the Assistant
Secretary to administer the program under this section, may use amounts
awarded under this section to engage in the following activities
related to the development and dissemination of best practices or core
competencies addressing mental health disparities among racial and
ethnic minority groups for use in the training of students in the
professions of social work, psychology, psychiatry, addiction medicine,
marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, and substance
misuse counseling:
``(1) Formation of committees or working groups comprised
of experts from accredited health professions schools to
identify best practices and core competencies relating to
mental health disparities among racial and ethnic minority
groups.
``(2) Planning of workshops in national fora to allow for
public input into the educational needs associated with mental
health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups.
``(3) Dissemination and promotion of the use of best
practices or core competencies in undergraduate and graduate
health professions training programs nationwide.
``(4) Establishing external advisory boards to provide
meaningful input into policy and program development and best
practices to reduce mental health disparities among racial and
ethnic minority groups.''; and
(3) in subsection (d) (as so redesignated), by striking
``2027'' and inserting ``2031''.
SEC. 5. RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
OUTREACH AND EDUCATION STRATEGY.
Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290dd
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 553 (42 U.S.C. 290ee-10)
of such Act the following:
``SEC. 554. BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH AND EDUCATION
STRATEGY.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall, in consultation with
advocacy and behavioral and mental health organizations serving racial
and ethnic minority groups, develop and implement an outreach and
education strategy to promote behavioral and mental health and reduce
stigma associated with mental health conditions and substance use among
racial and ethnic minority groups. Such strategy shall--
``(1) be designed to--
``(A) meet the diverse cultural and language needs
of the various racial and ethnic minority groups; and
``(B) be developmentally and age-appropriate;
``(2) increase awareness of symptoms of mental illnesses
common among such groups, taking into account differences
within at-risk subgroups;
``(3) provide information on evidence-based, culturally and
linguistically appropriate and adapted interventions and
treatments;
``(4) ensure full participation of, and engage, both
individuals receiving behavioral and mental health services and
other community members, which may include adolescents and
young adults, in the development and implementation of
materials; and
``(5) seek to broaden the perspective among both
individuals in racial and ethnic minority groups and
communities serving such groups to use a comprehensive and
integrated public health approach to promoting behavioral
health by focusing on the intersection between behavioral and
physical health.
``(b) Reports.--Beginning not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter for 5 years, the
Secretary shall submit to Congress, and make publicly available, a
report on the extent to which the strategy developed and implemented
under subsection (a) addressed behavioral and mental health outcomes
associated with mental health conditions and substance use among racial
and ethnic minority groups.
``(c) Definition.--In this section, the term `racial and ethnic
minority group' has the meaning given to that term in section 1707(g).
``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2026 through 2031.''.
SEC. 6. ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.
(a) In General.--In addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be
appropriated to the National Institutes of Health, there is authorized
to be appropriated to such Institutes $150,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2026 through 2031 to--
(1) build relations with communities and conduct or support
clinical research, including clinical research on racial or
ethnic disparities in physical and mental health; and
(2) to carry out the Strategic Framework For Addressing
Youth Mental Health Disparities developed by the National
Institute of Mental Health.
(b) Definition.--In this section, the term ``clinical research''
has the meaning given to such term in section 409 of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 284d).
SEC. 7. ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON MINORITY HEALTH AND
HEALTH DISPARITIES.
In addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated to
the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, there
is authorized to be appropriated to such Institute $750,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
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