I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7893 

To amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment of a COVID–19 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Response 

Grant Program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 31, 2020 

Mr. STEIL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to provide 

for the establishment of a COVID–19 Mental Health 

and Substance Abuse Response Grant Program, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Mental Health and 

5 Substance Abuse Support During COVID–19 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. COVID–19 MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE 

2 RESPONSE GRANT PROGRAM. 

3 Subpart 3 of part B of title V of the Public Health 

4 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb–31) is amended by adding 

5 at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 520N. COVID–19 MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE 

7 ABUSE RESPONSE GRANT PROGRAM. 

8 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall, in co9 ordination with the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health 

10 and Substance Use, establish and carry out a program to 

11 award grants to States (as defined in section 524) to as12 sist States in addressing the increased costs to States due 

13 to an increase in mental health challenges and substance 

14 abuse in such States as a result of, or co-occurring with, 

15 the COVID–19 pandemic, to be known as the ‘COVID– 

16 19 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Response Grant 

17 Program’ (referred to in this section as the ‘Program’). 

18 ‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.—A State may use funds re19 ceived through the grant to support one or more of the 

20 following activities, which may be conducted in coordina21 tion or partnership with local governments or community 

22 organizations: 

23 ‘‘(1) Enhanced public education to improve 

24 community awareness, with respect to mental health 

25 or substance abuse, including for children and youth. 


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1 ‘‘(2) Identification of, and outreach to, individ2 uals at risk of experiencing a mental health and sub3 stance abuse challenge, and referral of such individ4 uals to appropriate treatment, recover, or other re5 sources in the community. 

6 ‘‘(3) Direct services to adults and children to 

7 prevent or treat a mental health or substance abuse 

8 problem. 

9 ‘‘(4) Community and peer support programs, 

10 including programs for veterans and underserved 

11 communities. 

12 ‘‘(5) Development of partnerships with entities 

13 such as local healthcare providers, substance abuse 

14 treatment organizations, schools, child welfare agen15 cies, social services organizations, mental health 

16 treatment organizations, police departments, busi17 nesses, religious institutions, in order to coordinate 

18 and expand resources available to addicted or at-risk 

19 individuals and their family members. 

20 ‘‘(6) Mental health and substance abuse train21 ing for relevant healthcare workforce and community 

22 members. 

23 ‘‘(7) Upgrading technology to support mental 

24 health and substance abuse services through tele25 health. 


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1 ‘‘(8) Follow-up services and outpatient support. 

2 ‘‘(9) Support programs for front line COVID– 

3 19 health care workers. 

4 ‘‘(10) 24/7 crisis call centers. 

5 ‘‘(11) Grants to local governmental entities 

6 within such State to offset the costs referred to in 

7 subsection (a). 

8 ‘‘(c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall, not later 

9 than 30 days after the date of enactment of this section, 

10 issue a rule to establish, carry out, and administer the 

11 Program. 

12 ‘‘(d) FUNDING.— 

13 ‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

14 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

15 this section $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

16 2020 through 2022. 

17 ‘‘(2) ALLOCATION.—Of the amounts made 

18 available under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, each 

19 State shall be allocated an amount based on the per20 centage constituted by the ratio of an amount equal 

21 to the population of the State over an amount equal 

22 to the total population of the States, as indicated by 

23 the data collected by the Bureau of the Census for 

24 2010.’’. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS