I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1475 
To address mental health issues for youth, particularly youth of color, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 1, 2021 
Mrs. WATSON
COLEMAN
(for herself, Mr. KATKO, Mrs. HAYES, Ms. 
BARRAGA´N, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. DEAN, Mr. HAS-
TINGS, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. THOMPSON of 
Mississippi, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. 
BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr. DESAULNIER, Ms. NORTON, Ms. CLARKE of 
New York, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. TRONE, Ms. 
JACKSON LEE, Ms. BASS, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. 
BLUMENAUER, Mr. SAN NICOLAS, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. SCANLON, Ms. 
OMAR, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. JOHN-
SON of Georgia, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. COHEN, Mr. GRI-
JALVA, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. CARSON, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. 
MALINOWSKI, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, 
Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. SIRES, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mrs. AXNE, Mr. EVANS, Ms. 
MCCOLLUM, and Mr. LAWSON of Florida) 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 Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:11 Apr 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1475.IH
H1475
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pursuing Equity in 
Mental Health Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
TITLE I—HEALTH EQUITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY 
Sec. 101. Integrated Health Care Demonstration Program. 
Sec. 102. Addressing racial and ethnic minority mental health disparities re-
search gaps. 
Sec. 103. Health professions competencies to address racial and ethnic minority 
mental health disparities. 
Sec. 104. Racial and ethnic minority behavioral and mental health outreach and 
education strategy. 
Sec. 105. Additional funds for National Institutes of Health. 
Sec. 106. Additional funds for National Institute on Minority Health and 
Health Disparities. 
TITLE II—OTHER PROVISIONS 
Sec. 201. Reauthorization of Minority Fellowship Program. 
Sec. 202. Study on the Effects of Smartphone and Social Media Use on Adoles-
cents. 
Sec. 203. Technical correction. 
TITLE I—HEALTH EQUITY AND 
ACCOUNTABILITY 
SEC. 101. INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE DEMONSTRATION 
PROGRAM. 
Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 290dd et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:11 Apr 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1475.IH
H1475
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
‘‘SEC. 554. INTERPROFESSIONAL HEALTH CARE TEAMS FOR 
PROVISION OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE 
IN PRIMARY CARE SETTINGS. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS.—The Secretary shall award grants to 
eligible entities for the purpose of establishing interprofes-
sional health care teams that provide behavioral health 
care. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible to receive 
a grant under this section, an entity shall be a Federally 
qualified health center (as defined in section 1861(aa) of 
the Social Security Act), rural health clinic, or behavioral 
health program, serving a high proportion of individuals 
from racial and ethnic minority groups (as defined in sec-
tion 1707(g)). 
‘‘(c) SCIENTIFICALLY
BASED.—Integrated health 
care funded through this section shall be scientifically 
based, taking into consideration the results of the most 
recent peer-reviewed research available. 
‘‘(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry out this section, there is authorized to be appro-
priated $20,000,000 for each of the first 5 fiscal years 
following the date of enactment of the Pursuing Equity 
in Mental Health Act.’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:11 Apr 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1475.IH
H1475
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
SEC. 102. ADDRESSING RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY 
MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES RESEARCH 
GAPS. 
Not later than 6 months after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Director of the National Institutes 
of Health shall enter into an arrangement with the Na-
tional 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, the 
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or another 
appropriate entity)— 
(1) to conduct a study with respect to mental 
health disparities 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 the Congress a report on the 
results of such study, including— 
(A) a compilation of information on the dy-
namics of mental disorders in such racial and 
ethnic minority groups; and 
(B) a compilation of information on the 
impact of exposure to community violence, ad-
verse childhood experiences, structural racism, 
and other psychological traumas on mental dis-
orders in such racial and minority groups. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:11 Apr 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1475.IH
H1475
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
SEC. 103. HEALTH PROFESSIONS COMPETENCIES TO AD-
DRESS RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY MEN-
TAL HEALTH DISPARITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall award grants to qualified national 
organizations for the purposes of— 
(1) developing, and disseminating to health pro-
fessional educational programs 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, marriage and family 
therapy, mental health counseling, and substance 
misuse counseling; and 
(2) certifying community health workers and 
peer wellness specialists with respect to such best 
practices and core competencies and integrating and 
expanding the use of such workers and specialists 
into health care to address mental health disparities 
among racial and ethnic minority groups. 
(b) BEST PRACTICES; CORE COMPETENCIES.—Orga-
nizations receiving funds under subsection (a) may use the 
funds to engage in the following activities related to the 
development and dissemination of best practices or core 
competencies described in subsection (a)(1): 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:11 Apr 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1475.IH
H1475
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(1) Formation of committees or working groups 
comprised of experts from accredited health profes-
sions schools to identify best practices and core com-
petencies 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 as-
sociated 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 stakeholder 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. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) QUALIFIED NATIONAL ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘‘qualified national organization’’ means a na-
tional organization that focuses on the education of 
students in one or more of the professions of social 
work, psychology, psychiatry, marriage and family 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:11 Apr 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1475.IH
H1475
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
therapy, mental health counseling, and substance 
misuse counseling. 
(2) RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY GROUP.— 
The term ‘‘racial and ethnic minority group’’ has the 
meaning given to such term in section 1707(g) of 
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u– 
6(g)). 
SEC. 104. RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY BEHAVIORAL 
AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH AND EDU-
CATION STRATEGY. 
Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 290dd et seq.), as amended by section 101, 
is further amended by adding at the end the following new 
section: 
‘‘SEC. 555. BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH 
AND EDUCATION STRATEGY. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, in consulta-
tion with advocacy and behavioral and mental health orga-
nizations serving racial and ethnic minority groups, de-
velop and implement an outreach and education strategy 
to promote behavioral and mental health and reduce stig-
ma associated with mental health conditions and sub-
stance abuse among racial and ethnic minority groups. 
Such strategy shall— 
‘‘(1) be designed to— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:11 Apr 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1475.IH
H1475
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
‘‘(A) meet the diverse cultural and lan-
guage needs of the various racial and ethnic mi-
nority groups; and 
‘‘(B) be developmentally and age-appro-
priate; 
‘‘(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, cul-
turally and linguistically appropriate and adapted 
interventions and treatments; 
‘‘(4) ensure full participation of, and engage, 
both consumers and community members in the de-
velopment and implementation of materials; and 
‘‘(5) seek to broaden the perspective among 
both individuals in these groups and stakeholders 
serving these groups to use a comprehensive public 
health approach to promoting behavioral health that 
addresses a holistic view of 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 annu-
ally thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress, 
and make publicly available, a report on the extent to 
which the strategy developed and implemented under sub-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:11 Apr 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1475.IH
H1475
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
section (a) increased behavioral and mental health out-
comes associated with mental health conditions and sub-
stance abuse 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 
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.’’. 
SEC. 105. 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 $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 
through 2026 to build relations with communities and con-
duct or support clinical research, including clinical re-
search on racial or ethnic disparities in physical and men-
tal 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). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:11 Apr 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1475.IH
H1475
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
SEC. 106. ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR NATIONAL INSTITUTE 
ON MINORITY HEALTH AND HEALTH DISPARI-
TIES. 
In addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be ap-
propriated to the National Institute on Minority Health 
and Health Disparities, there is authorized to be appro-
priated to such Institute $650,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2022 through 2026. 
TITLE II—OTHER PROVISIONS 
SEC. 201. REAUTHORIZATION OF MINORITY FELLOWSHIP 
PROGRAM. 
Section 597(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 297ll(c)) is amended by striking ‘‘$12,669,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022’’ and inserting 
‘‘$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 
2026’’. 
SEC. 202. STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF SMARTPHONE AND 
SOCIAL MEDIA USE ON ADOLESCENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall conduct or support research on— 
(1) smartphone and social media use by adoles-
cents; and 
(2) the effects of such use on— 
(A) emotional, behavioral, and physical 
health and development; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:11 Apr 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1475.IH
H1475
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(B) disparities in minority and under-
served populations. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 5 years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
to the Congress, and make publicly available, a report on 
the findings of research described in this section. 
SEC. 203. TECHNICAL CORRECTION. 
Title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
290aa et seq.) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating the second section 550 (42 
U.S.C. 290ee–10) (relating to Sobriety Treatment 
And Recovery Teams) as section 553; and 
(2) by moving such section, as so redesignated, 
so as to appear after section 552 (42 U.S.C. 290ee– 
7). 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:11 Apr 15, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H1475.IH
H1475
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS