IIB 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2646 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JULY 7, 2016 
Received 
JULY 14, 2016 
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions 
AN ACT 
To make available needed psychiatric, psychological, and sup-
portive services for individuals with mental illness and 
families in mental health crisis, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2016’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND 
SUBSTANCE USE 
Sec. 101. Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. 
Sec. 102. Improving oversight of mental health and substance use programs. 
Sec. 103. National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory. 
Sec. 104. Peer-support specialist programs. 
Sec. 105. Prohibition against lobbying using Federal funds by systems accept-
ing Federal funds to protect and advocate the rights of individ-
uals with mental illness. 
Sec. 106. Reporting for protection and advocacy organizations. 
Sec. 107. Grievance procedure. 
Sec. 108. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. 
Sec. 109. Strategic plan. 
Sec. 110. Authorities of centers for mental health services and substance abuse 
treatment. 
Sec. 111. Advisory councils. 
Sec. 112. Peer review. 
TITLE II—MEDICAID MENTAL HEALTH COVERAGE 
Sec. 201. Rule of construction related to Medicaid coverage of mental health 
services and primary care services furnished on the same day. 
Sec. 202. Optional limited coverage of inpatient services furnished in institu-
tions for mental diseases. 
Sec. 203. Study and report related to Medicaid managed care regulation. 
Sec. 204. Guidance on opportunities for innovation. 
Sec. 205. Study and report on Medicaid emergency psychiatric demonstration 
project. 
Sec. 206. Providing EPSDT services to children in IMDs. 
Sec. 207. Electronic visit verification system required for personal care services 
and home health care services under Medicaid. 
TITLE III—INTERDEPARTMENTAL SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS 
COORDINATING COMMITTEE 
Sec. 301. Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee. 
TITLE IV—COMPASSIONATE COMMUNICATION ON HIPAA 
Sec. 401. Sense of Congress. 
Sec. 402. Confidentiality of records. 
Sec. 403. Clarification of circumstances under which disclosure of protected 
health information is permitted. 
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Sec. 404. Development and dissemination of model training programs. 
TITLE V—INCREASING ACCESS TO TREATMENT FOR SERIOUS 
MENTAL ILLNESS 
Sec. 501. Assertive community treatment grant program for individuals with 
serious mental illness. 
Sec. 502. Strengthening community crisis response systems. 
Sec. 503. Increased and extended funding for assisted outpatient grant pro-
gram for individuals with serious mental illness. 
Sec. 504. Liability protections for health professional volunteers at community 
health centers. 
TITLE VI—SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE AND EVIDENCE-BASED 
PROGRAMS 
Subtitle A—Encouraging the Advancement, Incorporation, and Development 
of Evidence-Based Practices 
Sec. 601. Encouraging innovation and evidence-based programs. 
Sec. 602. Promoting access to information on evidence-based programs and 
practices. 
Sec. 603. Sense of Congress. 
Subtitle B—Supporting the State Response to Mental Health Needs 
Sec. 611. Community Mental Health Services Block Grant. 
Subtitle C—Strengthening Mental Health Care for Children and Adolescents 
Sec. 621. Tele-mental health care access grants. 
Sec. 622. Infant and early childhood mental health promotion, intervention, and 
treatment. 
Sec. 623. National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative. 
TITLE VII—GRANT PROGRAMS AND PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION 
Subtitle A—Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Reauthorization 
Sec. 701. Youth interagency research, training, and technical assistance cen-
ters. 
Sec. 702. Youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies. 
Sec. 703. Mental health and substance use disorder services on campus. 
Subtitle B—Other Provisions 
Sec. 711. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Program. 
Sec. 712. Workforce development studies and reports. 
Sec. 713. Minority Fellowship Program. 
Sec. 714. Center and program repeals. 
Sec. 715. National violent death reporting system. 
Sec. 716. Sense of Congress on prioritizing Native American youth and suicide 
prevention programs. 
Sec. 717. Peer professional workforce development grant program. 
Sec. 718. National Health Service Corps. 
Sec. 719. Adult suicide prevention. 
Sec. 720. Crisis intervention grants for police officers and first responders. 
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Sec. 721. Demonstration grant program to train health service psychologists in 
community-based mental health. 
Sec. 722. Investment in tomorrow’s pediatric health care workforce. 
Sec. 723. CUTGO compliance. 
TITLE VIII—MENTAL HEALTH PARITY 
Sec. 801. Enhanced compliance with mental health and substance use disorder 
coverage requirements. 
Sec. 802. Action plan for enhanced enforcement of mental health and substance 
use disorder coverage. 
Sec. 803. Report on investigations regarding parity in mental health and sub-
stance use disorder benefits. 
Sec. 804. GAO study on parity in mental health and substance use disorder 
benefits. 
Sec. 805. Information and awareness on eating disorders. 
Sec. 806. Education and training on eating disorders. 
Sec. 807. GAO study on preventing discriminatory coverage limitations for indi-
viduals with serious mental illness and substance use disorders. 
Sec. 808. Clarification of existing parity rules. 
TITLE I—ASSISTANT SECRETARY 
FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND 
SUBSTANCE USE 
SEC. 101. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR MENTAL HEALTH 
AND SUBSTANCE USE. 
(a) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—Section 501(c) of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(c) ASSISTANT SECRETARY AND DEPUTY ASSIST-
ANT SECRETARY.— 
‘‘(1) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.— 
‘‘(A) APPOINTMENT.—The Administration 
shall be headed by an official to be known as 
the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and 
Substance Use (hereinafter in this title referred 
to as the ‘Assistant Secretary’) who shall be ap-
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pointed by the President, by and with the ad-
vice and consent of the Senate. 
‘‘(B) QUALIFICATIONS.—In selecting the 
Assistant Secretary, the President shall give 
preference to individuals who have— 
‘‘(i) a doctoral degree in medicine, os-
teopathic medicine, or psychology; 
‘‘(ii) clinical and research experience 
regarding mental health and substance use 
disorders; and 
‘‘(iii) an understanding of biological, 
psychosocial, and pharmaceutical treat-
ments of mental illness and substance use 
disorders. 
‘‘(2) DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The As-
sistant Secretary, with the approval of the Secretary, 
may appoint a Deputy Assistant Secretary and may 
employ and prescribe the functions of such officers 
and employees, including attorneys, as are necessary 
to administer the activities to be carried out through 
the Administration.’’. 
(b) TRANSFER OF AUTHORITIES.—The Secretary of 
Health and Human Services shall delegate to the Assist-
ant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use all 
duties and authorities that— 
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(1) as of the day before the date of enactment 
of this Act, were vested in the Administrator of the 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Ad-
ministration; and 
(2) are not terminated by this Act. 
(c) EVALUATION.—Section 501(d) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa(d)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (17), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (18), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(19) evaluate, in consultation with the Assist-
ant Secretary for Financial Resources, the informa-
tion used for oversight of grants under programs re-
lated to mental illness and substance use disorders, 
including co-occurring illness or disorders, adminis-
tered by the Center for Mental Health Services; 
‘‘(20) periodically review Federal programs and 
activities relating to the diagnosis or prevention of, 
or treatment or rehabilitation for, mental illness and 
substance use disorders to identify any such pro-
grams or activities that have proven to be effective 
or efficient in improving outcomes or increasing ac-
cess to evidence-based programs; 
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‘‘(21) establish standards for the appointment 
of peer-review panels to evaluate grant applications 
and recommend standards for mental health grant 
programs; and’’. 
(d) STANDARDS
FOR GRANT PROGRAMS.—Section 
501(d) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
290aa(d)), as amended by subsection (c), is further 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(22) in consultation with the National Mental 
Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory, and 
after providing an opportunity for public input, set 
standards for grant programs under this title for 
mental health and substance use services, which may 
address— 
‘‘(A) the capacity of the grantee to imple-
ment the award; 
‘‘(B) requirements for the description of 
the program implementation approach; 
‘‘(C) the extent to which the grant plan 
submitted by the grantee as part of its applica-
tion must explain how the grantee will reach 
the population of focus and provide a statement 
of need, including to what extent the grantee 
will increase the number of clients served and 
the estimated percentage of clients receiving 
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services who report positive functioning after 6 
months or no past-month substance use, as ap-
plicable; 
‘‘(D) the extent to which the grantee must 
collect and report on required performance 
measures; and 
‘‘(E) the extent to which the grantee is 
proposing evidence-based practices and the ex-
tent to which— 
‘‘(i) those evidence-based practices 
must be used with respect to a population 
similar to the population for which the evi-
dence-based practices were shown to be ef-
fective; or 
‘‘(ii) if no evidence-based practice ex-
ists for a population of focus, the way in 
which the grantee will implement adapta-
tions of evidence-based practices, prom-
ising practices, or cultural practices.’’. 
(e) EMERGENCY RESPONSE.—Section 501(m) of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa(m)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS THROUGH FOL-
LOWING FISCAL YEAR.—Amounts made available for 
carrying out this subsection shall remain available 
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through the end of the fiscal year following the fiscal 
year for which such amounts are appropriated.’’. 
(f) MEMBER OF COUNCIL ON GRADUATE MEDICAL 
EDUCATION.—Section 762 of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 290o) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), 
and (6) as paragraphs (5), (6), and (7), respec-
tively; and 
(B) by inserting after paragraph (3) the 
following: 
‘‘(4) the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health 
and Substance Use;’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘(4), (5), and 
(6)’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘(5), (6), 
and (7)’’. 
(g) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Title V of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa et seq.), as 
amended by the previous provisions of this section, is fur-
ther amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘Administrator of the Substance 
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’’ 
each place it appears and inserting ‘‘Assistant Sec-
retary for Mental Health and Substance Use’’; and 
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(2) by striking ‘‘Administrator’’ each place it 
appears (including in any headings) and inserting 
‘‘Assistant Secretary’’, except where the term ‘‘Ad-
ministrator’’ appears— 
(A) in each of subsections (e) and (f) of 
section 501 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa), in-
cluding the headings of such subsections, within 
the term ‘‘Associate Administrator’’; 
(B) in section 507(b)(6) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 290bb(b)(6)), within the term ‘‘Adminis-
trator of the Health Resources and Services Ad-
ministration’’; 
(C) in section 507(b)(6) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 290bb(b)(6)), within the term ‘‘Adminis-
trator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services’’; 
(D) in section 519B(c)(1)(B) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 290bb–25b(c)(1)(B)), within the 
term ‘‘Administrator of the National Highway 
Traffic Safety Administration’’; or 
(E) in each of sections 519B(c)(1)(B), 
520C(a), and 520D(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
290bb–25b(c)(1)(B), 
290bb–34(a), 
290bb– 
35(a)), within the term ‘‘Administrator of the 
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Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Pre-
vention’’. 
(h) REFERENCES.—After executing subsections (a), 
(b), and (f), any reference in statute, regulation, or guid-
ance to the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and 
Mental Health Services Administration shall be construed 
to be a reference to the Assistant Secretary for Mental 
Health and Substance Use. 
SEC. 102. IMPROVING OVERSIGHT OF MENTAL HEALTH 
AND SUBSTANCE USE PROGRAMS. 
Title V of the Public Health Service Act is amended 
by inserting after section 501 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
290aa) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 501A. IMPROVING OVERSIGHT OF MENTAL HEALTH 
AND SUBSTANCE USE PROGRAMS. 
‘‘(a) ACTIVITIES.—For the purpose of ensuring effi-
cient and effective planning and evaluation of mental ill-
ness and substance use disorder programs and related ac-
tivities, the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evalua-
tion, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary for Men-
tal Health and Substance Use, shall— 
‘‘(1) collect and organize relevant data on 
homelessness, involvement with the criminal justice 
system, hospitalizations, mortality outcomes, and 
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other measures the Secretary deems appropriate 
from across Federal departments and agencies; 
‘‘(2) evaluate programs related to mental illness 
and substance use disorders, including co-occurring 
illness or disorders, across Federal departments and 
agencies, as appropriate, including programs related 
to— 
‘‘(A) prevention, intervention, treatment, 
and recovery support services, including such 
services for individuals with a serious mental ill-
ness or serious emotional disturbance; 
‘‘(B) the reduction of homelessness and in-
volvement with the criminal justice system 
among individuals with a mental illness or sub-
stance use disorder; and 
‘‘(C) public health and health services; and 
‘‘(3) consult, as appropriate, with the Assistant 
Secretary, the Behavioral Health Coordinating 
Council of the Department of Health and Human 
Services, other agencies within the Department of 
Health and Human Services, and other relevant 
Federal departments. 
‘‘(b) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Assistant Secretary 
for Planning and Evaluation shall develop an evaluation 
strategy that identifies priority programs to be evaluated 
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by the Assistant Secretary and priority programs to be 
evaluated by other relevant agencies within the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services. The Assistant Sec-
retary for Planning and Evaluation shall provide rec-
ommendations on improving programs and activities based 
on the evaluation described in subsection (a)(2) as needing 
improvement.’’. 
SEC. 103. NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE 
USE POLICY LABORATORY. 
Title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
290aa et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 501A, 
as added by section 102 of this Act, the following: 
‘‘SEC. 501B. NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE 
USE POLICY LABORATORY. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There shall be established within 
the Administration a National Mental Health and Sub-
stance Use Policy Laboratory (referred to in this section 
as the ‘Laboratory’). 
‘‘(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Laboratory shall— 
‘‘(1) continue to carry out the authorities and 
activities that were in effect for the Office of Policy, 
Planning, and Innovation as such Office existed 
prior to the date of enactment of the Helping Fami-
lies in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2016; 
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‘‘(2) identify, coordinate, and facilitate the im-
plementation of policy changes likely to have a sig-
nificant effect on mental health, mental illness, and 
the prevention and treatment of substance use dis-
order services; 
‘‘(3) collect, as appropriate, information from 
grantees under programs operated by the Adminis-
tration in order to evaluate and disseminate infor-
mation on evidence-based practices, including cul-
turally and linguistically appropriate services, as ap-
propriate, and service delivery models; 
‘‘(4) provide leadership in identifying and co-
ordinating policies and programs, including evidence- 
based programs, related to mental illness and sub-
stance use disorders; 
‘‘(5) recommend ways in which payers may im-
plement program and policy findings of the Adminis-
tration and the Laboratory to improve outcomes and 
reduce per capita program costs; 
‘‘(6) in consultation with the Assistant Sec-
retary for Planning and Evaluation, as appropriate, 
periodically review Federal programs and activities 
relating to the diagnosis or prevention of, or treat-
ment or rehabilitation for, mental illness and sub-
stance use disorders, including by— 
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‘‘(A) identifying any such programs or ac-
tivities that are duplicative; 
‘‘(B) identifying any such programs or ac-
tivities that are not evidence-based, effective, or 
efficient; and 
‘‘(C) formulating recommendations for co-
ordinating, eliminating, or improving programs 
or activities identified under subparagraph (A) 
or (B) and merging such programs or activities 
into other successful programs or activities; and 
‘‘(7) carry out other activities as deemed nec-
essary to continue to encourage innovation and dis-
seminate evidence-based programs and practices, in-
cluding programs and practices with scientific merit. 
‘‘(c) EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES
AND SERVICE 
DELIVERY MODELS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In selecting evidence-based 
best practices and service delivery models for evalua-
tion and dissemination, the Laboratory— 
‘‘(A) shall give preference to models that 
improve— 
‘‘(i) the coordination between mental 
health and physical health providers; 
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‘‘(ii) the coordination among such pro-
viders and the justice and corrections sys-
tem; and 
‘‘(iii) the cost effectiveness, quality, 
effectiveness, and efficiency of health care 
services furnished to individuals with seri-
ous mental illness or serious emotional dis-
turbance, in mental health crisis, or at risk 
to themselves, their families, and the gen-
eral public; and 
‘‘(B) may include clinical protocols and 
practices used in the Recovery After Initial 
Schizophrenia Episode (RAISE) project and the 
North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study 
(NAPLS) of the National Institute of Mental 
Health. 
‘‘(2) DEADLINE FOR BEGINNING IMPLEMENTA-
TION.—The Laboratory shall begin implementation 
of the duties described in this section not later than 
January 1, 2018. 
‘‘(3) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out the du-
ties under this section, the Laboratory shall consult 
with— 
‘‘(A) representatives of the National Insti-
tute of Mental Health, the National Institute 
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on Drug Abuse, and the National Institute on 
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, on an ongoing 
basis; 
‘‘(B) other appropriate Federal agencies; 
‘‘(C) clinical and analytical experts with 
expertise in psychiatric medical care and clinical 
psychological care, health care management, 
education, corrections health care, and mental 
health court systems, as appropriate; and 
‘‘(D) other individuals and agencies as de-
termined appropriate by the Assistant Sec-
retary.’’. 
SEC. 104. PEER-SUPPORT SPECIALIST PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall conduct a study on peer-support 
specialist programs in up to 10 States (to be selected by 
the Comptroller General) that receive funding from the 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administra-
tion and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives 
a report containing the results of such study. 
(b) CONTENTS OF STUDY.—In conducting the study 
under subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the 
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United States shall examine and identify best practices in 
the selected States related to training and credential re-
quirements for peer-support specialist programs, such 
as— 
(1) hours of formal work or volunteer experi-
ence related to mental illness and substance use dis-
orders conducted through such programs; 
(2) types of peer-support specialist exams re-
quired for such programs in the States; 
(3) codes of ethics used by such programs in 
the States; 
(4) required or recommended skill sets of such 
programs in the State; and 
(5) requirements for continuing education. 
SEC. 105. PROHIBITION AGAINST LOBBYING USING FED-
ERAL FUNDS BY SYSTEMS ACCEPTING FED-
ERAL FUNDS TO PROTECT AND ADVOCATE 
THE RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL 
ILLNESS. 
Section 105(a) of the Protection and Advocacy for 
Individuals with Mental Illness Act (42 U.S.C. 10805(a)) 
is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (9), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
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(2) in paragraph (10), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(11) agree to refrain, during any period for 
which funding is provided to the system under this 
part, from using Federal funds to pay the salary or 
expenses of any grant or contract recipient, or agent 
acting for such recipient, related to any activity de-
signed to influence the enactment of legislation, ap-
propriations, regulation, administrative action, or 
Executive order proposed or pending before the Con-
gress or any State or local government, including 
any legislative body, other than for normal and rec-
ognized executive-legislative relationships or partici-
pation by an agency or officer of a State, local, or 
tribal government in policymaking and administra-
tive processes within the executive branch of that 
government.’’. 
SEC. 106. REPORTING FOR PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY 
ORGANIZATIONS. 
(a) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY
OF REPORTS.—Section 
105(a)(7) of the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals 
with Mental Illness Act (42 U.S.C. 10805(a)(7)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘is located a report’’ and inserting 
‘‘is located, and make publicly available, a report’’. 
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(b) DETAILED ACCOUNTING.—Section 114(a) of the 
Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Ill-
ness Act (42 U.S.C. 10824(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) using data from the existing required an-
nual program progress reports submitted by each 
system funded under this title, a detailed accounting 
for each such system of how funds are spent, 
disaggregated according to whether the funds were 
received from the Federal Government, the State 
government, a local government, or a private enti-
ty.’’. 
SEC. 107. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE. 
Section 105 of the Protection and Advocacy for Indi-
viduals with Mental Illness Act (42 U.S.C. 10805), as 
amended, is further amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(d) GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE.—The Secretary shall 
establish an independent grievance procedure for persons 
described in subsection (a)(9).’’. 
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SEC. 108. CENTER FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH STATISTICS 
AND QUALITY. 
Title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
290aa et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 501(b) (42 U.S.C. 290aa(b)), by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) The Center for Behavioral Health Statis-
tics and Quality.’’; 
(2) in section 502(a)(1) (42 U.S.C. 290aa– 
1(a)(1))— 
(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (D) 
the following: 
‘‘(E) the Center for Behavioral Health 
Statistics and Quality.’’; and 
(3) in part B (42 U.S.C. 290bb et seq.) by add-
ing at the end the following new subpart: 
‘‘Subpart 4—Center for Behavioral Health Statistics 
and Quality 
‘‘SEC. 520L. CENTER FOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH STATISTICS 
AND QUALITY. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 
Administration a Center for Behavioral Health Statistics 
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and Quality (in this section referred to as the ‘Center’). 
The Center shall be headed by a Director (in this section 
referred to as the ‘Director’) appointed by the Secretary 
from among individuals with extensive experience and aca-
demic qualifications in research and analysis in behavioral 
health care or related fields. 
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Director of the Center shall— 
‘‘(1) coordinate the Administration’s integrated 
data strategy by coordinating— 
‘‘(A) surveillance and data collection (in-
cluding that authorized by section 505); 
‘‘(B) evaluation; 
‘‘(C) statistical and analytic support; 
‘‘(D) service systems research; and 
‘‘(E) performance and quality information 
systems; 
‘‘(2) recommend a core set of measurement 
standards for grant programs administered by the 
Administration; and 
‘‘(3) coordinate evaluation efforts for the grant 
programs, contracts, and collaborative agreements of 
the Administration. 
‘‘(c) BIANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, 
and every 2 years thereafter, the Director of the Center 
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shall submit to Congress a report on the quality of services 
furnished through grant programs of the Administration, 
including applicable measures of outcomes for individuals 
and public outcomes such as— 
‘‘(1) the number of patients screened positive 
for unhealthy alcohol use who receive brief coun-
seling as appropriate; the number of patients 
screened positive for tobacco use and receiving 
smoking cessation interventions; the number of pa-
tients with a new diagnosis of major depressive epi-
sode who are assessed for suicide risk; the number 
of patients screened positive for clinical depression 
with a documented followup plan; and the number of 
patients with a documented pain assessment that 
have a followup treatment plan when pain is present; 
and satisfaction with care; 
‘‘(2) the incidence and prevalence of mental ill-
ness and substance use disorders; the number of sui-
cide attempts and suicide completions; overdoses 
seen in emergency rooms resulting from alcohol and 
drug use; emergency room boarding; overdose 
deaths; emergency psychiatric hospitalizations; new 
criminal justice involvement while in treatment; sta-
ble housing; and rates of involvement in employ-
ment, education, and training; and 
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‘‘(3) such other measures for outcomes of serv-
ices as the Director may determine. 
‘‘(d) STAFFING COMPOSITION.—The staff of the Cen-
ter may include individuals with advanced degrees and 
field expertise as well as clinical and research experience 
in mental illness and substance use disorders such as— 
‘‘(1) professionals with clinical and research ex-
pertise in the prevention and treatment of, and re-
covery from, mental illness and substance use dis-
orders; 
‘‘(2) professionals with training and expertise in 
statistics or research and survey design and meth-
odologies; and 
‘‘(3) other related fields in the social and behav-
ioral sciences, as specified by relevant position de-
scriptions. 
‘‘(e) GRANTS AND CONTRACTS.—In carrying out the 
duties established in subsection (b), the Director may 
make grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative 
agreements with, public and nonprofit private entities. 
‘‘(f) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘emer-
gency room boarding’ means the practice of admitting pa-
tients to an emergency department and holding such pa-
tients in the department until inpatient psychiatric beds 
become available.’’. 
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SEC. 109. STRATEGIC PLAN. 
Section 501 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 290aa) is further amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (l) through (o) 
as subsections (m) through (p), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (k) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(l) STRATEGIC PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than December 1, 
2017, and every 5 years thereafter, the Assistant 
Secretary shall develop and carry out a strategic 
plan in accordance with this subsection for the plan-
ning and operation of evidence-based programs and 
grants carried out by the Administration. 
‘‘(2) COORDINATION.—In developing and car-
rying out the strategic plan under this section, the 
Assistant Secretary shall take into consideration the 
report of the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Ill-
ness Coordinating Committee under section 301 of 
the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 
2016. 
‘‘(3) PUBLICATION OF PLAN.—Not later than 
December 1, 2017, and every 5 years thereafter, the 
Assistant Secretary shall— 
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‘‘(A) submit the strategic plan developed 
under paragraph (1) to the appropriate commit-
tees of Congress; and 
‘‘(B) post such plan on the Internet 
website of the Administration. 
‘‘(4) CONTENTS.—The strategic plan developed 
under paragraph (1) shall— 
‘‘(A) identify strategic priorities, goals, and 
measurable objectives for mental illness and 
substance use disorder activities and programs 
operated and supported by the Administration, 
including priorities to prevent or eliminate the 
burden of mental illness and substance use dis-
orders; 
‘‘(B) identify ways to improve services for 
individuals with a mental illness or substance 
use disorder, including services related to the 
prevention of, diagnosis of, intervention in, 
treatment of, and recovery from, mental illness 
or substance use disorders, including serious 
mental illness or serious emotional disturbance, 
and access to services and supports for individ-
uals with a serious mental illness or serious 
emotional disturbance; 
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‘‘(C) ensure that programs provide, as ap-
propriate, access to effective and evidence-based 
prevention, diagnosis, intervention, treatment, 
and recovery services, including culturally and 
linguistically appropriate services, as appro-
priate, for individuals with a mental illness or 
substance use disorder; 
‘‘(D) identify opportunities to collaborate 
with the Health Resources and Services Admin-
istration to develop or improve— 
‘‘(i) initiatives to encourage individ-
uals to pursue careers (especially in rural 
and underserved areas and populations) as 
psychiatrists, 
psychologists, 
psychiatric 
nurse practitioners, physician assistants, 
occupational 
therapists, 
clinical 
social 
workers, certified peer-support specialists, 
licensed professional counselors, or other 
licensed or certified mental health profes-
sionals, including such professionals spe-
cializing in the diagnosis, evaluation, or 
treatment of individuals with a serious 
mental illness or serious emotional disturb-
ance; and 
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‘‘(ii) a strategy to improve the recruit-
ment, training, and retention of a work-
force for the treatment of individuals with 
mental illness or substance use disorders, 
or co-occurring illness or disorders; 
‘‘(E) identify opportunities to improve col-
laboration with States, local governments, com-
munities, and Indian tribes and tribal organiza-
tions (as such terms are defined in section 4 of 
the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)); and 
‘‘(F) specify a strategy to disseminate evi-
denced-based and promising best practices re-
lated to prevention, diagnosis, early interven-
tion, treatment, and recovery services related to 
mental illness, particularly for individuals with 
a serious mental illness and children and ado-
lescents with a serious emotional disturbance, 
and substance use disorders.’’. 
SEC. 110. AUTHORITIES OF CENTERS FOR MENTAL HEALTH 
SERVICES AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREAT-
MENT. 
(a) CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.—Sec-
tion 520(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
290bb–31(b)) is amended— 
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(1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through 
(15) as paragraphs (4) through (16), respectively; 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(3) collaborate with the Director of the Na-
tional Institute of Mental Health to ensure that, as 
appropriate, programs related to the prevention and 
treatment of mental illness and the promotion of 
mental health are carried out in a manner that re-
flects the best available science and evidence-based 
practices, including culturally and linguistically ap-
propriate services;’’; 
(3) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, by in-
serting ‘‘through policies and programs that reduce 
risk and promote resiliency’’ before the semicolon; 
(4) in paragraph (6), as so redesignated, by in-
serting ‘‘in collaboration with the Director of the 
National Institute of Mental Health,’’ before ‘‘de-
velop’’; 
(5) in paragraph (8), as so redesignated, by in-
serting ‘‘, increase meaningful participation of indi-
viduals with mental illness in programs and activi-
ties of the Administration,’’ before ‘‘and protect the 
legal’’; 
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(F) in paragraph (12), as so redesignated, 
by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting a semicolon; 
and 
(G) by striking paragraph (13), as so re-
designated, and inserting the following: 
‘‘(13) ensure the consistent documentation of 
the application of criteria when awarding grants and 
the ongoing oversight of grantees after such grants 
are awarded; and 
‘‘(14) work with States, providers, and individ-
uals in recovery, and their families, to promote the 
expansion of recovery support services and systems 
of care oriented towards recovery.’’. 
SEC. 111. ADVISORY COUNCILS. 
Section 502(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 290aa–1(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (E), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as 
subparagraph (I); and 
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (E), 
the following: 
‘‘(F) for the advisory councils appointed 
under subsections (a)(1)(A) and (a)(1)(D), the 
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Director of the National Institute of Mental 
Health; 
‘‘(G) for the advisory councils appointed 
under subsections (a)(1)(A), (a)(1)(B), and 
(a)(1)(C), the Director of the National Institute 
on Drug Abuse; 
‘‘(H) for the advisory councils appointed 
under subsections (a)(1)(A), (a)(1)(B), and 
(a)(1)(C), the Director of the National Institute 
on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism; and’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (3), by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(C) Not less than half of the members of 
the advisory council appointed under subsection 
(a)(1)(D)— 
‘‘(i) shall have— 
‘‘(I) a medical degree; 
‘‘(II) a doctoral degree in psy-
chology; or 
‘‘(III) an advanced degree in 
nursing or social work from an ac-
credited graduate school or be a cer-
tified physician assistant; and 
‘‘(ii) shall specialize in the mental 
health field.’’. 
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SEC. 112. PEER REVIEW. 
Section 504(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 290aa–3(b)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: ‘‘In the case of any such peer review group that 
is reviewing a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract 
related to mental illness treatment, not less than half of 
the members of such peer review group shall be licensed 
and experienced professionals in the prevention, diagnosis, 
or treatment of, or recovery from, mental illness or sub-
stance use disorders and have a medical degree, a doctoral 
degree in psychology, or an advanced degree in nursing 
or social work from an accredited program.’’. 
TITLE II—MEDICAID MENTAL 
HEALTH COVERAGE 
SEC. 201. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION RELATED TO MEDICAID 
COVERAGE OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 
AND PRIMARY CARE SERVICES FURNISHED 
ON THE SAME DAY. 
Nothing in title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) shall be construed as prohibiting sep-
arate payment under the State plan under such title (or 
under a waiver of the plan) for the provision of a mental 
health service or primary care service under such plan, 
with respect to an individual, because such service is— 
(1) a primary care service furnished to the indi-
vidual by a provider at a facility on the same day 
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a mental health service is furnished to such indi-
vidual by such provider (or another provider) at the 
facility; or 
(2) a mental health service furnished to the in-
dividual by a provider at a facility on the same day 
a primary care service is furnished to such individual 
by such provider (or another provider) at the facil-
ity. 
SEC. 202. OPTIONAL LIMITED COVERAGE OF INPATIENT 
SERVICES FURNISHED IN INSTITUTIONS FOR 
MENTAL DISEASES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1903(m)(2) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b(m)(2)) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(I)(i) Notwithstanding the limitation specified in the 
subdivision (B) following paragraph (29) of section 
1905(a) and subject to clause (ii), a State may, under a 
risk contract entered into by the State under this title (or 
under section 1115) with a medicaid managed care organi-
zation or a prepaid inpatient health plan (as defined in 
section 438.2 of title 42, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
any successor regulation)), make a monthly capitation 
payment to such organization or plan for enrollees with 
the organization or plan who are over 21 years of age and 
under 65 years of age and are receiving inpatient treat-
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ment in an institution for mental diseases (as defined in 
section 1905(i)), so long as each of the following condi-
tions is met: 
‘‘(I) The institution is a hospital providing in-
patient psychiatric or substance use disorder services 
or a sub-acute facility providing psychiatric or sub-
stance use disorder crisis residential services. 
‘‘(II) The length of stay in such an institution 
for such treatment is for a short-term stay of no 
more than 15 days during the period of the monthly 
capitation payment. 
‘‘(III) The provision of such treatment meets 
the following criteria for consideration as services or 
settings that are provided in lieu of services or set-
tings covered under the State plan: 
‘‘(aa) The State determines that the alter-
native service or setting is a medically appro-
priate and cost-effective substitute for the serv-
ice or setting covered under the State plan. 
‘‘(bb) The enrollee is not required by the 
managed care organization or prepaid inpatient 
health plan to use the alternative service or set-
ting. 
‘‘(cc) Such treatment is authorized and 
identified in such contract, and will be offered 
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to such enrollees at the option of the managed 
care organization or prepaid inpatient health 
plan. 
‘‘(ii) For purposes of setting the amount of such a 
monthly capitation payment, a State may use the utiliza-
tion of services provided to an individual under this sub-
paragraph when developing the inpatient psychiatric or 
substance use disorder component of such payment, but 
the amount of such payment for such services may not 
exceed the cost of the same services furnished through 
providers included under the State plan.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply beginning on July 5, 2016, or 
the date of the enactment of this Act, whichever is later. 
SEC. 203. STUDY AND REPORT RELATED TO MEDICAID 
MANAGED CARE REGULATION. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, acting through the Administrator of the Centers 
for Medicare & Medicaid Services, shall conduct a study 
on coverage under the Medicaid program under title XIX 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) of serv-
ices provided through a medicaid managed care organiza-
tion (as defined in section 1903(m) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1396b(m)) or a prepaid inpatient health plan (as defined 
in section 438.2 of title 42, Code of Federal Regulations 
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(or any successor regulation)) with respect to individuals 
over the age of 21 and under the age of 65 for the treat-
ment of a mental health disorder in institutions for mental 
diseases (as defined in section 1905(i) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1396d(i))). Such study shall include information 
on the following: 
(1) The extent to which States, including the 
District of Columbia and each territory or possession 
of the United States, are providing capitated pay-
ments to such organizations or plans for enrollees 
who are receiving services in institutions for mental 
diseases. 
(2) The number of individuals receiving medical 
assistance under a State plan under such title XIX, 
or a waiver of such plan, who receive services in in-
stitutions for mental diseases through such organiza-
tions and plans. 
(3) The range of and average number of 
months, and the length of stay during such months, 
that such individuals are receiving such services in 
such institutions. 
(4) How such organizations or plans determine 
when to provide for the furnishing of such services 
through an institution for mental diseases in lieu of 
other benefits (including the full range of commu-
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nity-based services) under their contract with the 
State agency administering the State plan under 
such title XIX, or a waiver of such plan, to address 
psychiatric or substance use disorder treatment. 
(5) The extent to which the provision of serv-
ices within such institutions has affected the 
capitated payments for such organizations or plans. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
to Congress a report on the study conducted under sub-
section (a). 
SEC. 204. GUIDANCE ON OPPORTUNITIES FOR INNOVATION. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare 
& Medicaid Services shall issue a State Medicaid Director 
letter regarding opportunities to design innovative service 
delivery systems, including systems for providing commu-
nity-based services, for individuals with serious mental ill-
ness or serious emotional disturbance who are receiving 
medical assistance under title XIX of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.). The letter shall include op-
portunities for demonstration projects under section 1115 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1315), to improve care for such 
individuals. 
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SEC. 205. STUDY AND REPORT ON MEDICAID EMERGENCY 
PSYCHIATRIC DEMONSTRATION PROJECT. 
(a) COLLECTION OF INFORMATION.—The Secretary 
of Health and Human Services, acting through the Ad-
ministrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Serv-
ices, shall, with respect to each State that has participated 
in the demonstration project established under section 
2707 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1396a note), collect from each such State in-
formation on the following: 
(1) The number of institutions for mental dis-
eases (as defined in section 1905(i) of the Social Se-
curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(i))) and beds in such 
institutions that received payment for the provision 
of services to individuals who receive medical assist-
ance under a State plan under the Medicaid pro-
gram under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) (or under a waiver of such 
plan) through the demonstration project in each 
such State as compared to the total number of insti-
tutions for mental diseases and beds in the State. 
(2) The extent to which there is a reduction in 
expenditures under the Medicaid program under title 
XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et 
seq.) or other spending on the full continuum of 
physical or mental health care for individuals who 
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receive treatment in an institution for mental dis-
eases under the demonstration project, including 
outpatient, inpatient, emergency, and ambulatory 
care, that is attributable to such individuals receiv-
ing treatment in institutions for mental diseases 
under the demonstration project. 
(3) The number of forensic psychiatric hos-
pitals, the number of beds in such hospitals, and the 
number of forensic psychiatric beds in other hos-
pitals in such State, based on the most recent data 
available, to the extent practical, as determined by 
such Administrator. 
(4) The amount of any disproportionate share 
hospital payments under section 1923 of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396r–4) that institutions 
for mental diseases in the State received during the 
period beginning on July 1, 2012, and ending on 
June 30, 2015, and the extent to which the dem-
onstration project reduced the amount of such pay-
ments. 
(5) The most recent data regarding all facilities 
or sites in the State in which any individuals with 
serious mental illness who are receiving medical as-
sistance under a State plan under the Medicaid pro-
gram under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 
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U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) (or under a waiver of such 
plan) are treated during the period referred to in 
paragraph (4), to the extent practical, as determined 
by the Administrator, including— 
(A) the types of such facilities or sites 
(such as an institution for mental diseases, a 
hospital emergency department, or other inpa-
tient hospital); 
(B) the average length of stay in such a 
facility 
or 
site 
by 
such 
an 
individual, 
disaggregated by facility type; and 
(C) the payment rate under the State plan 
(or a waivers of such plan) for services fur-
nished to such an individual for that treatment, 
disaggregated by facility type, during the period 
in which the demonstration project is in oper-
ation. 
(6) The extent to which the utilization of hos-
pital emergency departments during the period in 
which the demonstration project was is in operation 
differed, with respect to individuals who are receiv-
ing medical assistance under a State plan under the 
Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Se-
curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) (or under a 
waiver of such plan), between— 
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(A) those individuals who received treat-
ment in an institution for mental diseases 
under the demonstration project; 
(B) those individuals who met the eligi-
bility requirements 
for 
the 
demonstration 
project but who did not receive treatment in an 
institution for mental diseases under the dem-
onstration project; and 
(C) those individuals with serious mental 
illness who did not meet such eligibility require-
ments and did not receive treatment for such 
illness in an institution for mental diseases. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall submit to Congress a report that 
summarizes and analyzes the information collected under 
subsection (a). Such report may be submitted as part of 
the report required under section 2707(f) of the Patient 
Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a 
note) or separately. 
SEC. 206. PROVIDING EPSDT SERVICES TO CHILDREN IN 
IMDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1905(a)(16) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(a)(16)) is amended— 
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(1) by striking ‘‘effective January 1, 1973’’ and 
inserting ‘‘(A) effective January 1, 1973’’; and 
(2) by inserting before the semicolon at the end 
the following: ‘‘, and, (B) for individuals receiving 
services described in subparagraph (A), early and 
periodic screening, diagnostic, and treatment serv-
ices (as defined in subsection (r)), whether or not 
such screening, diagnostic, and treatment services 
are furnished by the provider of the services de-
scribed in such subparagraph’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to items and serv-
ices furnished in calendar quarters beginning on or after 
January 1, 2019. 
SEC. 207. ELECTRONIC VISIT VERIFICATION SYSTEM RE-
QUIRED FOR PERSONAL CARE SERVICES AND 
HOME HEALTH CARE SERVICES UNDER MED-
ICAID. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1903 of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b) is amended by inserting after 
subsection (k) the following new subsection: 
‘‘(l)(1) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), with re-
spect to any amount expended for personal care services 
or home health care services requiring an in-home visit 
by a provider that are provided under a State plan under 
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this title (or under a waiver of the plan) and furnished 
in a calendar quarter beginning on or after January 1, 
2019 (or, in the case of home health care services, on or 
after January 1, 2023), unless a State requires the use 
of an electronic visit verification system for such services 
furnished in such quarter under the plan or such waiver, 
the Federal medical assistance percentage shall be re-
duced— 
‘‘(A) in the case of personal care services— 
‘‘(i) for calendar quarters in 2019 and 
2020, by .25 percentage points; 
‘‘(ii) for calendar quarters in 2021, by .5 
percentage points; 
‘‘(iii) for calendar quarters in 2022, by .75 
percentage points; and 
‘‘(iv) for calendar quarters in 2023 and 
each year thereafter, by 1 percentage point; and 
‘‘(B) in the case of home health care services— 
‘‘(i) for calendar quarters in 2023 and 
2024, by .25 percentage points; 
‘‘(ii) for calendar quarters in 2025, by .5 
percentage points; 
‘‘(iii) for calendar quarters in 2026, by .75 
percentage points; and 
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‘‘(iv) for calendar quarters in 2027 and 
each year thereafter, by 1 percentage point. 
‘‘(2) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), in imple-
menting the requirement for the use of an electronic visit 
verification system under paragraph (1), a State shall— 
‘‘(A) consult with agencies and entities that 
provide personal care services, home health care 
services, or both under the State plan (or under a 
waiver of the plan) to ensure that such system— 
‘‘(i) is minimally burdensome; 
‘‘(ii) takes into account existing best prac-
tices and electronic visit verification systems in 
use in the State; and 
‘‘(iii) is conducted in accordance with the 
requirements of HIPAA privacy and security 
law (as defined in section 3009 of the Public 
Health Service Act); 
‘‘(B) take into account a stakeholder process 
that includes input from beneficiaries, family care-
givers, individuals who furnish personal care services 
or home health care services, and other stakeholders, 
as determined by the State in accordance with guid-
ance from the Secretary; and 
‘‘(C) ensure that individuals who furnish per-
sonal care services, home health care services, or 
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both under the State plan (or under a waiver of the 
plan) are provided the opportunity for training on 
the use of such system. 
‘‘(3) Paragraphs (1) and (2) shall not apply in the 
case of a State that, as of the date of the enactment of 
this subsection, requires the use of any system for the elec-
tronic verification of visits conducted as part of both per-
sonal care services and home health care services, so long 
as the State continues to require the use of such system 
with respect to the electronic verification of such visits. 
‘‘(4)(A) In the case of a State described in subpara-
graph (B), the reduction under paragraph (1) shall not 
apply— 
‘‘(i) in the case of personal care services, for 
calendar quarters in 2019; and 
‘‘(ii) in the case of home health care services, 
for calendar quarters in 2023. 
‘‘(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), a State de-
scribed in this subparagraph is a State that demonstrates 
to the Secretary that the State— 
‘‘(i) has made a good faith effort to comply 
with the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) (in-
cluding by taking steps to adopt the technology used 
for an electronic visit verification system); or 
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‘‘(ii) in implementing such a system, has en-
countered unavoidable system delays. 
‘‘(5) In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) The term ‘electronic visit verification sys-
tem’ means, with respect to personal care services or 
home health care services, a system under which vis-
its conducted as part of such services are electroni-
cally verified with respect to— 
‘‘(i) the type of service performed; 
‘‘(ii) the individual receiving the service; 
‘‘(iii) the date of the service; 
‘‘(iv) the location of service delivery; 
‘‘(v) the individual providing the service; 
and 
‘‘(vi) the time the service begins and ends. 
‘‘(B) The term ‘home health care services’ 
means services described in section 1905(a)(7) pro-
vided under a State plan under this title (or under 
a waiver of the plan). 
‘‘(C) The term ‘personal care services’ means 
personal care services provided under a State plan 
under this title (or under a waiver of the plan), in-
cluding services provided under section 1905(a)(24), 
1915(c), 1915(i), 1915(j), or 1915(k) or under a 
wavier under section 1115. 
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‘‘(6)(A) In the case in which a State requires personal 
care service and home health care service providers to uti-
lize an electronic visit verification system operated by the 
State or a contractor on behalf of the State, the Secretary 
shall pay to the State, for each quarter, an amount equal 
to 90 per centum of so much of the sums expended during 
such quarter as are attributable to the design, develop-
ment, or installation of such system, and 75 per centum 
of so much of the sums for the operation and maintenance 
of such system. 
‘‘(B) Subparagraph (A) shall not apply in the case 
in which a State requires personal care service and home 
health care service providers to utilize an electronic visit 
verification system that is not operated by the State or 
a contractor on behalf of the State.’’. 
(b) COLLECTION
AND DISSEMINATION
OF BEST 
PRACTICES.—Not later than January 1, 2018, the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services shall, with respect 
to electronic visit verification systems (as defined in sub-
section (l)(5) of section 1903 of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1396b), as inserted by subsection (a)), collect 
and disseminate best practices to State Medicaid Directors 
with respect to— 
(1) training individuals who furnish personal 
care services, home health care services, or both 
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under the State plan under title XIX of such Act (or 
under a waiver of the plan) on such systems and the 
operation of such systems and the prevention of 
fraud with respect to the provision of personal care 
services or home health care services (as defined in 
such subsection (l)(5)); and 
(2) the provision of notice and educational ma-
terials to family caregivers and beneficiaries with re-
spect to the use of such electronic visit verification 
systems and other means to prevent such fraud. 
(c) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.— 
(1) NO
EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE
RELATIONSHIP 
ESTABLISHED.—Nothing in the amendment made by 
this section may be construed as establishing an em-
ployer-employee relationship between the agency or 
entity that provides for personal care services or 
home health care services and the individuals who, 
under a contract with such an agency or entity, fur-
nish such services for purposes of part 552 of title 
29, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor 
regulations). 
(2) NO PARTICULAR OR UNIFORM ELECTRONIC 
VISIT
VERIFICATION
SYSTEM
REQUIRED.—Nothing 
in the amendment made by this section shall be con-
strued to require the use of a particular or uniform 
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electronic visit verification system (as defined in sub-
section (l)(5) of section 1903 of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b), as inserted by subsection 
(a)) by all agencies or entities that provide personal 
care services or home health care under a State plan 
under title XIX of the Social Security Act (or under 
a waiver of the plan) (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.). 
(3) NO LIMITS ON PROVISION OF CARE.—Noth-
ing in the amendment made by this section may be 
construed to limit, with respect to personal care 
services or home health care services provided under 
a State plan under title XIX of the Social Security 
Act (or under a waiver of the plan) (42 U.S.C. 1396 
et seq.), provider selection, constrain beneficiaries’ 
selection of a caregiver, or impede the manner in 
which care is delivered. 
(4) NO PROHIBITION ON STATE QUALITY MEAS-
URES REQUIREMENTS.—Nothing in the amendment 
made by this section shall be construed as prohib-
iting a State, in implementing an electronic visit 
verification system (as defined in subsection (l)(5) of 
section 1903 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1396b), as inserted by subsection (a)), from estab-
lishing requirements related to quality measures for 
such system. 
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TITLE 
III—INTERDEPART-
MENTAL 
SERIOUS 
MENTAL 
ILLNESS 
COORDINATING 
COMMITTEE 
SEC. 301. INTERDEPARTMENTAL SERIOUS MENTAL ILL-
NESS COORDINATING COMMITTEE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 3 months 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services, or the des-
ignee of the Secretary, shall establish a committee to 
be known as the ‘‘Interdepartmental Serious Mental 
Illness Coordinating Committee’’ (in this section re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Committee’’). 
(2) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.—Ex-
cept as provided in this section, the provisions of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) 
shall apply to the Committee. 
(b) MEETINGS.—The Committee shall meet not fewer 
than two times each year. 
(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, and 5 years after such 
date of enactment, the Committee shall submit to Con-
gress a report including— 
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(1) a summary of advances in serious mental 
illness and serious emotional disturbance research 
related to the prevention of, diagnosis of, interven-
tion in, and treatment and recovery of, serious men-
tal illnesses, serious emotional disturbances, and ad-
vances in access to services and support for individ-
uals with a serious mental illness or serious emo-
tional disturbance; 
(2) an evaluation of the effect on public health 
of Federal programs related to serious mental illness 
or serious emotional disturbance, including measure-
ments of public health outcomes such as— 
(A) rates of suicide, suicide attempts, prev-
alence of serious mental illness, serious emo-
tional disturbances, and substance use dis-
orders, overdose, overdose deaths, emergency 
hospitalizations, emergency room boarding, pre-
ventable emergency room visits, involvement 
with the criminal justice system, crime, home-
lessness, and unemployment; 
(B) increased rates of employment and en-
rollment in educational and vocational pro-
grams; 
(C) quality of mental illness and substance 
use disorder treatment services; and 
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(D) any other criteria as may be deter-
mined by the Secretary; 
(3) a plan to improve outcomes for individuals 
with serious mental illness or serious emotional dis-
turbances, including reducing incarceration for such 
individuals, reducing homelessness, and increasing 
employment; and 
(4) specific recommendations for actions that 
agencies can take to better coordinate the adminis-
tration of mental health services for people with seri-
ous mental illness or serious emotional disturbances. 
(d) COMMITTEE EXTENSION.—Upon the submission 
of the second report under subsection (c), the Secretary 
shall submit a recommendation to Congress on whether 
to extend the operation of the Committee. 
(e) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) FEDERAL MEMBERS.—The Committee shall 
be composed of the following Federal representa-
tives, or their designees: 
(A) The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, who shall serve as the Chair of the 
Committee. 
(B) The Director of the National Institutes 
of Health. 
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(C) The Assistant Secretary for Health of 
the Department of Health and Human Services. 
(D) The Assistant Secretary for Mental 
Health and Substance Use. 
(E) The Attorney General of the United 
States. 
(F) The Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 
(G) The Secretary of Defense. 
(H) The Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development. 
(I) The Secretary of Education. 
(J) The Secretary of Labor. 
(K) The Commissioner of Social Security. 
(L) The Administrator of the Centers for 
Medicare & Medicaid Services. 
(2) NON-FEDERAL MEMBERS.—The Committee 
shall also include not less than 14 non-Federal pub-
lic members appointed by the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services, of which— 
(A) at least two members shall be individ-
uals with lived experience with serious mental 
illness or serious emotional disturbance; 
(B) at least one member shall be a parent 
or legal guardian of an individual with a history 
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of a serious mental illness or serious emotional 
disturbance; 
(C) at least one member shall be a rep-
resentative of a leading research, advocacy, or 
service organization for individuals with serious 
mental illness or serious emotional disturbance; 
(D) at least two members shall be— 
(i) a licensed psychiatrist with experi-
ence treating serious mental illnesses or se-
rious emotional disturbances; 
(ii) a licensed psychologist with expe-
rience treating serious mental illnesses or 
serious emotional disturbances; 
(iii) a licensed clinical social worker 
with experience treating serious mental ill-
ness or serious emotional disturbances; or 
(iv) a licensed psychiatric nurse, nurse 
practitioner, or physician assistant with ex-
perience treating serious mental illnesses 
or serious emotional disturbances; 
(E) at least one member shall be a licensed 
mental health professional with a specialty in 
treating children and adolescents with serious 
emotional disturbances; 
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(3) TERMS.—A member of the Committee ap-
pointed under paragraph (2) shall serve for a term 
of 3 years, and may be reappointed for one or more 
additional 3-year terms. Any member appointed to 
fill a vacancy for an unexpired term shall be ap-
pointed for the remainder of such term. A member 
may serve after the expiration of the member’s term 
until a successor has been appointed. 
(f) WORKING GROUPS.—In carrying out its func-
tions, the Committee may establish working groups. Such 
working groups shall be composed of Committee members, 
or their designees, and may hold such meetings as are nec-
essary. 
(g) SUNSET.—The Committee shall terminate on the 
date that is 6 years after the date on which the Committee 
is established under subsection (a)(1). 
TITLE IV—COMPASSIONATE 
COMMUNICATION ON HIPAA 
SEC. 401. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The vast majority of individuals with mental 
illness are capable of understanding their illness and 
caring for themselves. 
(2) Persons with serious mental illness (in this 
section referred to as ‘‘SMI’’), including schizo-
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phrenia spectrum, bipolar disorders, and major de-
pressive disorder, may be significantly impaired in 
their ability to understand or make sound decisions 
for their care and needs. By nature of their illness, 
cognitive impairments in reasoning and judgment, as 
well as the presence of hallucinations, delusions, and 
severe emotional distortions, they may lack the 
awareness they even have a mental illness (a condi-
tion known as anosognosia), and thus may be unable 
to make sound decisions regarding their care, nor 
follow through consistently and effectively on their 
care needs. 
(3) Persons with mental illness or SMI may re-
quire and benefit from mental health treatment in 
order to recover to the fullest extent of their ability; 
these beneficial interventions may include psychiatric 
care, psychological care, medication, peer support, 
educational support, employment support, and hous-
ing support. 
(4) Persons with SMI who are provided with 
professional and supportive services may still experi-
ence times when their symptoms may greatly impair 
their abilities to make sound decisions for their per-
sonal care or may discontinue their care as a result 
of this impaired decisionmaking resulting in a fur-
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ther deterioration of their condition. They may expe-
rience a temporary or prolonged impairment as a re-
sult of their diminished capacity to care for them-
selves. 
(5) Episodes of psychiatric crises among those 
with SMI can result in neurological harm to the in-
dividual’s brain. 
(6) Persons with SMI— 
(A) are at high risk for other chronic phys-
ical illnesses, with approximately 50 percent 
having two or more co-occurring chronic phys-
ical illnesses such as cardiac, pulmonary, can-
cer, and endocrine disorders; and 
(B) have three times the odds of having 
chronic bronchitis, five times the odds of having 
emphysema, and four times the odds of having 
COPD, are more than four times as likely to 
have fluid and electrolyte disorders, and are 
nearly three times as likely to be nicotine de-
pendent. 
(7) Some psychotropic medications, such as sec-
ond generation antipsychotics, significantly increase 
risk for chronic illnesses such as diabetes and car-
diovascular disease. 
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(8) When the individual fails to seek or main-
tain treatment for these physical conditions over a 
long term, it can result in the individual becoming 
gravely disabled, or developing life-threatening ill-
nesses. Early and consistent treatment can amelio-
rate or reduce symptoms or cure the disease. 
(9) Persons with SMI die 7 to 24 years earlier 
than their age cohorts primarily because of com-
plications from their chronic physical illness and fail-
ure to seek or maintain treatment resulting from 
emotional and cognitive impairments from their 
SMI. 
(10) It is beneficial to the person with SMI and 
chronic illness to seek and maintain continuity of 
medical care and treatment for their mental illness 
to prevent further deterioration and harm to their 
own safety. 
(11) When the individual with SMI is signifi-
cantly diminished in their capacity to care for them-
selves long term or acutely, other supportive inter-
ventions to assist their care may be necessary to 
protect their health and safety. 
(12) Prognosis for the physical and psychiatric 
health of those with SMI may improve when respon-
sible caregivers facilitate and participate in care. 
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(13) When an individual with SMI is chron-
ically incapacitated in their ability to care for them-
selves, caregivers can pursue legal guardianship to 
facilitate care in appropriate areas while being mind-
ful to allow the individual to make decisions for 
themselves in areas where they are capable. 
(14) Individuals with SMI who have prolonged 
periods of being significantly functional can, during 
such periods, design and sign an advanced directive 
to predefine and choose medications, providers, 
treatment plans, and hospitals, and provide care-
givers with guardianship the ability to help in those 
times when a patient’s psychiatric symptoms worsen 
to the point of making them incapacitated or leaving 
them with a severely diminished capacity to make in-
formed decisions about their care which may result 
in harm to their physical and mental health. 
(15) All professional and support efforts should 
be made to help the individual with SMI and acute 
or chronic physical illnesses to understand and fol-
low through on treatment. 
(16) When individuals with SMI, even after ef-
forts to help them understand, have failed to care 
for themselves, there exists confusion in the health 
care community around what is currently permis-
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sible under HIPAA rules. This confusion may hinder 
communication with responsible caregivers who may 
be able to facilitate care for the patient with SMI in 
instances when the individual does not give permis-
sion for disclosure. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of the 
Congress that, for the sake of the health and safety of 
persons with serious mental illness, more clarity is needed 
surrounding the existing HIPAA privacy rule promulgated 
pursuant to section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Port-
ability and Accountability Act (42 U.S.C. 1320d–2 note) 
to permit health care professionals to communicate, when 
necessary, with responsible known caregivers of such per-
sons, the limited, appropriate protected health information 
of such persons in order to facilitate treatment, but not 
including psychotherapy notes. 
SEC. 402. CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS. 
Not later than 1 year after the date on which the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services first finalizes 
regulations updating part 2 of title 42, Code of Federal 
Regulations (relating to confidentiality of alcohol and drug 
abuse patient records) after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary shall convene relevant stakeholders to 
determine the effect of such regulations on patient care, 
health outcomes, and patient privacy. The Secretary shall 
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submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, and make 
publicly available, a report on the findings of such stake-
holders. 
SEC. 403. CLARIFICATION OF CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER 
WHICH DISCLOSURE OF PROTECTED HEALTH 
INFORMATION IS PERMITTED. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this section, the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services shall promulgate final regulations 
clarifying the circumstances under which, consistent with 
the provisions of subpart C of title XI of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1320d et seq.) and regulations pro-
mulgated pursuant to section 264(c) of the Health Insur-
ance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 
U.S.C. 1320d–2 note), a health care provider or covered 
entity may disclose the protected health information of a 
patient with a mental illness, including for purposes of— 
(1) communicating (including with respect to 
treatment, side effects, risk factors, and the avail-
ability of community resources) with a family mem-
ber of such patient, caregiver of such patient, or 
other individual to the extent that such family mem-
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ber, caregiver, or individual is involved in the care 
of the patient; 
(2) communicating with a family member of the 
patient, caregiver of such patient, or other individual 
involved in the care of the patient in the case that 
the patient is an adult; 
(3) communicating with the parent or caregiver 
of a patient in the case that the patient is a minor; 
(4) considering the patient’s capacity to agree 
or object to the sharing of the protected health in-
formation of the patient; 
(5) communicating and sharing information 
with the family or caregivers of the patient when— 
(A) the patient consents; 
(B) the patient does not consent, but the 
patient lacks the capacity to agree or object and 
the communication or sharing of information is 
in the patient’s best interest; 
(C) the patient does not consent and the 
patient is not incapacitated or in an emergency 
circumstance, but the ability of the patient to 
make rational health care decisions is signifi-
cantly diminished by reason of the physical or 
mental health condition of the patient; and 
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(D) the patient does not consent, but such 
communication and sharing of information is 
necessary to prevent impending and serious de-
terioration of the patient’s mental or physical 
health; 
(6) involving a patient’s family members, care-
givers, or others involved in the patient’s care or 
care plan, including facilitating treatment and medi-
cation adherence, in dealing with patient failures to 
adhere to medication or other therapy; 
(7) listening to or receiving information with re-
spect to the patient from the family or caregiver of 
such patient receiving mental illness treatment; 
(8) communicating with family members of the 
patient, caregivers of the patient, law enforcement, 
or others when the patient presents a serious and 
imminent threat of harm to self or others; and 
(9) communicating to law enforcement and 
family members of the patient or caregivers of the 
patient about the admission of the patient to receive 
care at a facility or the release of a patient who was 
admitted to a facility for an emergency psychiatric 
hold or involuntary treatment. 
(b) COORDINATION.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall carry out this section in coordina-
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tion with the Director of the Office for Civil Rights within 
the Department of Health and Human Services. 
(c) CONSISTENCY WITH GUIDANCE.—The Secretary 
of Health and Human Services shall ensure that the regu-
lations under this section are consistent with the guidance 
entitled ‘‘HIPAA Privacy Rule and Sharing Information 
Related to Mental Health’’, issued by the Department of 
Health and Human Services on February 20, 2014. 
SEC. 404. DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION OF MODEL 
TRAINING PROGRAMS. 
(a) INITIAL PROGRAMS AND MATERIALS.—Not later 
than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this sec-
tion referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall develop and dis-
seminate— 
(1) a model program and materials for training 
health care providers (including physicians, emer-
gency medical personnel, psychologists, counselors, 
therapists, behavioral health facilities and clinics, 
care managers, and hospitals) regarding the cir-
cumstances under which, consistent with the stand-
ards governing the privacy and security of individ-
ually identifiable health information promulgated by 
the Secretary under subpart C of title XI of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320d et seq.) and reg-
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ulations promulgated pursuant to section 264(c) of 
the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability 
Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 1320d–2 note), the pro-
tected health information of patients with a mental 
illness may be disclosed with and without patient 
consent; 
(2) a model program and materials for training 
lawyers and others in the legal profession on such 
circumstances; and 
(3) a model program and materials for training 
patients and their families regarding their rights to 
protect and obtain information under the standards 
specified in paragraph (1). 
(b) PERIODIC UPDATES.—The Secretary shall— 
(1) periodically review and update the model 
programs and materials developed under subsection 
(a); and 
(2) disseminate the updated model programs 
and materials. 
(c) CONTENTS.—The programs and materials devel-
oped under subsection (a) shall address the guidance enti-
tled ‘‘HIPAA Privacy Rule and Sharing Information Re-
lated to Mental Health’’, issued by the Department of 
Health and Human Services on February 20, 2014. 
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(d) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall carry out 
this section in coordination with the Director of the Office 
for Civil Rights within the Department of Health and 
Human Services, the Assistant Secretary for Mental 
Health and Substance Use, the Administrator of the 
Health Resources and Services Administration, and the 
heads of other relevant agencies within the Department 
of Health and Human Services. 
(e) INPUT OF CERTAIN ENTITIES.—In developing the 
model programs and materials required by subsections (a) 
and (b), the Secretary shall solicit the input of relevant 
national, State, and local associations, medical societies, 
and licensing boards. 
(f) FUNDING.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this section $4,000,000 for fiscal year 
2018, $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 and 2020, 
and $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 and 2022. 
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TITLE V—INCREASING ACCESS 
TO TREATMENT FOR SERIOUS 
MENTAL ILLNESS 
SEC. 501. ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT GRANT 
PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SERIOUS 
MENTAL ILLNESS. 
Part B of title V of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 290bb et seq.) is amended by inserting after 
section 520L the following: 
‘‘SEC. 520M. ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT GRANT 
PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SERIOUS 
MENTAL ILLNESS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary shall 
award grants to eligible entities— 
‘‘(1) to establish assertive community treatment 
programs for individuals with serious mental illness; 
or 
‘‘(2) to maintain or expand such programs. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible to receive 
a grant under this section, an entity shall be a State, coun-
ty, city, tribe, tribal organization, mental health system, 
health care facility, or any other entity the Assistant Sec-
retary deems appropriate. 
‘‘(c) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.—In selecting among 
applicants for a grant under this section, the Assistant 
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Secretary may give special consideration to the potential 
of the applicant’s program to reduce hospitalization, 
homelessness, and involvement with the criminal justice 
system while improving the health and social outcomes of 
the patient. 
‘‘(d) ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES.—The Assistant Sec-
retary shall— 
‘‘(1) not later than the end of fiscal year 2021, 
submit a report to the appropriate congressional 
committees on the grant program under this section, 
including an evaluation of— 
‘‘(A) cost savings and public health out-
comes such as mortality, suicide, substance 
abuse, hospitalization, and use of services; 
‘‘(B) rates of involvement with the criminal 
justice system of patients; 
‘‘(C) rates of homelessness among patients; 
and 
‘‘(D) patient and family satisfaction with 
program participation; and 
‘‘(2) provide appropriate information, training, 
and technical assistance to grant recipients under 
this section to help such recipients to establish, 
maintain, or expand their assertive community treat-
ment programs. 
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‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To carry out this section, 
there is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 
for the period of fiscal years 2018 through 2022. 
‘‘(2) USE OF CERTAIN FUNDS.—Of the funds 
appropriated to carry out this section in any fiscal 
year, no more than 5 percent shall be available to 
the Assistant Secretary for carrying out subsection 
(d).’’. 
SEC. 502. STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY CRISIS RESPONSE 
SYSTEMS. 
Section 520F of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 290bb–37) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 520F. STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY CRISIS RE-
SPONSE SYSTEMS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award com-
petitive grants— 
‘‘(1) to State and local governments and Indian 
tribes and tribal organizations to enhance commu-
nity-based crisis response systems; or 
‘‘(2) to States to develop, maintain, or enhance 
a database of beds at inpatient psychiatric facilities, 
crisis stabilization units, and residential community 
mental health and residential substance use disorder 
treatment facilities, for individuals with serious men-
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tal illness, serious emotional disturbance, or sub-
stance use disorders. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To receive a grant or coop-
erative agreement under subsection (a), an entity 
shall submit to the Secretary an application, at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such informa-
tion as the Secretary may require. 
‘‘(2) 
COMMUNITY-BASED
CRISIS
RESPONSE 
PLAN.—An application for a grant under subsection 
(a)(1) shall include a plan for— 
‘‘(A) promoting integration and coordina-
tion between local public and private entities 
engaged in crisis response, including first re-
sponders, emergency health care providers, pri-
mary care providers, law enforcement, court 
systems, health care payers, social service pro-
viders, and behavioral health providers; 
‘‘(B) developing a plan for entering into 
memoranda of understanding with public and 
private entities to implement crisis response 
services; 
‘‘(C) expanding the continuum of commu-
nity-based services to address crisis intervention 
and prevention; and 
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‘‘(D) developing models for minimizing 
hospital readmissions, including through appro-
priate discharge planning. 
‘‘(3) BEDS
DATABASE
PLAN.—An application 
for a grant under subsection (a)(2) shall include a 
plan for developing, maintaining, or enhancing a 
real-time Internet-based bed database to collect, ag-
gregate, and display information about beds in inpa-
tient psychiatric facilities and crisis stabilization 
units, and residential community mental health and 
residential substance use disorder treatment facili-
ties, to facilitate the identification and designation of 
facilities for the temporary treatment of individuals 
in mental or substance use disorder crisis. 
‘‘(c) DATABASE REQUIREMENTS.—A bed database 
described in this section is a database that— 
‘‘(1) includes information on inpatient psy-
chiatric facilities, crisis stabilization units, and resi-
dential community mental health and residential 
substance use disorder facilities in the State in-
volved, including contact information for the facility 
or unit; 
‘‘(2) provides real-time information about the 
number of beds available at each facility or unit and, 
for each available bed, the type of patient that may 
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be admitted, the level of security provided, and any 
other information that may be necessary to allow for 
the proper identification of appropriate facilities for 
treatment of individuals in mental or substance use 
disorder crisis; and 
‘‘(3) enables searches of the database to iden-
tify available beds that are appropriate for the treat-
ment of individuals in mental or substance use dis-
order crisis. 
‘‘(d) EVALUATION.—An entity receiving a grant 
under subsection (a)(1) shall submit to the Secretary, at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such informa-
tion as the Secretary may reasonably require, a report, 
including an evaluation of the effect of such grant on— 
‘‘(1) local crisis response services and measures 
of individuals receiving crisis planning and early 
intervention supports; 
‘‘(2) individuals reporting improved functional 
outcomes; and 
‘‘(3) individuals receiving regular followup care 
following a crisis. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, 
$5,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2018 through 
2022.’’. 
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SEC. 503. INCREASED AND EXTENDED FUNDING FOR AS-
SISTED OUTPATIENT GRANT PROGRAM FOR 
INDIVIDUALS WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILL-
NESS. 
Section 224(g) of the Protecting Access to Medicare 
Act of 2014 (42 U.S.C. 290aa note) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2022’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘is authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2015 through 
2018’’ and inserting ‘‘are authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for 
each 
of 
fiscal 
years 
2015 
through 
2017, 
$20,000,000 for fiscal year 2018, $19,000,000 for 
each 
of 
fiscal 
years 
2019 
and 
2020, 
and 
$18,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 and 
2022’’. 
SEC. 504. LIABILITY PROTECTIONS FOR HEALTH PROFES-
SIONAL 
VOLUNTEERS 
AT 
COMMUNITY 
HEALTH CENTERS. 
Section 224 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 233) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(q)(1) For purposes of this section, a health profes-
sional volunteer at an entity described in subsection (g)(4) 
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shall, in providing a health professional service eligible for 
funding under section 330 to an individual, be deemed to 
be an employee of the Public Health Service for a calendar 
year that begins during a fiscal year for which a transfer 
was made under paragraph (4)(C). The preceding sen-
tence is subject to the provisions of this subsection. 
‘‘(2) In providing a health service to an individual, 
a health care practitioner shall for purposes of this sub-
section be considered to be a health professional volunteer 
at an entity described in subsection (g)(4) if the following 
conditions are met: 
‘‘(A) The service is provided to the individual at 
the facilities of an entity described in subsection 
(g)(4), or through offsite programs or events carried 
out by the entity. 
‘‘(B) The entity is sponsoring the health care 
practitioner pursuant to paragraph (3)(B). 
‘‘(C) The health care practitioner does not re-
ceive any compensation for the service from the indi-
vidual or from any third-party payer (including re-
imbursement under any insurance policy or health 
plan, or under any Federal or State health benefits 
program), except that the health care practitioner 
may receive repayment from the entity described in 
subsection (g)(4) for reasonable expenses incurred 
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by the health care practitioner in the provision of 
the service to the individual. 
‘‘(D) Before the service is provided, the health 
care practitioner or the entity described in sub-
section (g)(4) posts a clear and conspicuous notice 
at the site where the service is provided of the extent 
to which the legal liability of the health care practi-
tioner is limited pursuant to this subsection. 
‘‘(E) At the time the service is provided, the 
health care practitioner is licensed or certified in ac-
cordance with applicable law regarding the provision 
of the service. 
‘‘(3) Subsection (g) (other than paragraphs (3) and 
(5)) and subsections (h), (i), and (l) apply to a health care 
practitioner for purposes of this subsection to the same 
extent and in the same manner as such subsections apply 
to an officer, governing board member, employee, or con-
tractor of an entity described in subsection (g)(4), subject 
to paragraph (4) and subject to the following: 
‘‘(A) The first sentence of paragraph (1) ap-
plies in lieu of the first sentence of subsection 
(g)(1)(A). 
‘‘(B) With respect to an entity described in sub-
section (g)(4), a health care practitioner is not a 
health professional volunteer at such entity unless 
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the entity sponsors the health care practitioner. For 
purposes of this subsection, the entity shall be con-
sidered to be sponsoring the health care practitioner 
if— 
‘‘(i) with respect to the health care practi-
tioner, the entity submits to the Secretary an 
application meeting the requirements of sub-
section (g)(1)(D); and 
‘‘(ii) the Secretary, pursuant to subsection 
(g)(1)(E), determines that the health care prac-
titioner is deemed to be an employee of the 
Public Health Service. 
‘‘(C) In the case of a health care practitioner 
who is determined by the Secretary pursuant to sub-
section (g)(1)(E) to be a health professional volun-
teer at such entity, this subsection applies to the 
health care practitioner (with respect to services per-
formed on behalf of the entity sponsoring the health 
care practitioner pursuant to subparagraph (B)) for 
any cause of action arising from an act or omission 
of the health care practitioner occurring on or after 
the date on which the Secretary makes such deter-
mination. 
‘‘(D) Subsection (g)(1)(F) applies to a health 
care practitioner for purposes of this subsection only 
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to the extent that, in providing health services to an 
individual, each of the conditions specified in para-
graph (2) is met. 
‘‘(4)(A) Amounts in the fund established under sub-
section (k)(2) shall be available for transfer under sub-
paragraph (C) for purposes of carrying out this sub-
section. 
‘‘(B) Not later May 1 of each fiscal year, the Attor-
ney General, in consultation with the Secretary, shall sub-
mit to the Congress a report providing an estimate of the 
amount of claims (together with related fees and expenses 
of witnesses) that, by reason of the acts or omissions of 
health professional volunteers, will be paid pursuant to 
this section during the calendar year that begins in the 
following fiscal year. Subsection (k)(1)(B) applies to the 
estimate under the preceding sentence regarding health 
professional volunteers to the same extent and in the same 
manner as such subsection applies to the estimate under 
such subsection regarding officers, governing board mem-
bers, employees, and contractors of entities described in 
subsection (g)(4). 
‘‘(C) Not later than December 31 of each fiscal year, 
the Secretary shall transfer from the fund under sub-
section (k)(2) to the appropriate accounts in the Treasury 
an amount equal to the estimate made under subpara-
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graph (B) for the calendar year beginning in such fiscal 
year, subject to the extent of amounts in the fund. 
‘‘(5)(A) This subsection takes effect on October 1, 
2017, except as provided in subparagraph (B). 
‘‘(B) Effective on the date of the enactment of this 
subsection— 
‘‘(i) the Secretary may issue regulations for car-
rying out this subsection, and the Secretary may ac-
cept and consider applications submitted pursuant to 
paragraph (3)(B); and 
‘‘(ii) reports under paragraph (4)(B) may be 
submitted to the Congress.’’. 
TITLE VI—SUPPORTING INNOVA-
TIVE AND EVIDENCE-BASED 
PROGRAMS 
Subtitle A—Encouraging the Ad-
vancement, Incorporation, and 
Development of Evidence-Based 
Practices 
SEC. 601. ENCOURAGING INNOVATION AND EVIDENCE- 
BASED PROGRAMS. 
Section 501B of the Public Health Service Act, as 
inserted by section 103, is further amended, by inserting 
after subsection (c) the following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) PROMOTING INNOVATION.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary, in 
coordination with the Laboratory, may award grants 
to States, local governments, Indian tribes or tribal 
organizations (as such terms are defined in section 
4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act), educational institutions, and non-
profit organizations to develop evidence-based inter-
ventions, including culturally and linguistically ap-
propriate services, as appropriate, for— 
‘‘(A) evaluating a model that has been sci-
entifically demonstrated to show promise, but 
would benefit from further applied development, 
for— 
‘‘(i) enhancing the prevention, diag-
nosis, intervention, treatment, and recovery 
of mental illness, serious emotional dis-
turbance, substance use disorders, and co- 
occurring illness or disorders; or 
‘‘(ii) integrating or coordinating phys-
ical health services and mental illness and 
substance use disorder services; and 
‘‘(B) expanding, replicating, or scaling evi-
dence-based programs across a wider area to 
enhance effective screening, early diagnosis, 
intervention, and treatment with respect to 
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mental illness, serious mental illness, and seri-
ous emotional disturbance, primarily by— 
‘‘(i) applying delivery of care, includ-
ing training staff in effective evidence- 
based treatment; or 
‘‘(ii) integrating models of care across 
specialties and jurisdictions. 
‘‘(2) 
CONSULTATION.—In 
awarding 
grants 
under this paragraph, the Assistant Secretary shall, 
as appropriate, consult with the advisory councils de-
scribed in section 502, the National Institute of 
Mental Health, the National Institute on Drug 
Abuse, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse 
and Alcoholism, as appropriate. 
‘‘(3) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated— 
‘‘(A) to carry out paragraph (1)(A), 
$7,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2018 
through 2020; and 
‘‘(B) to carry out paragraph (1)(B), 
$7,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2018 
through 2020.’’. 
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SEC. 602. PROMOTING ACCESS TO INFORMATION ON EVI-
DENCE-BASED PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES. 
Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act 
is amended by inserting after section 543 of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 290dd–2 ) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 544. PROMOTING ACCESS TO INFORMATION ON EVI-
DENCE-BASED PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary shall 
improve access to reliable and valid information on evi-
dence-based programs and practices, including informa-
tion on the strength of evidence associated with such pro-
grams and practices, related to mental illness and sub-
stance use disorders for States, local communities, non-
profit entities, and other stakeholders by posting on the 
website of the National Registry of Evidence-Based Pro-
grams and Practices evidence-based programs and prac-
tices that have been reviewed by the Assistant Secretary 
pursuant to the requirements of this section. 
‘‘(b) NOTICE.— 
‘‘(1) PERIODS.—In carrying out subsection (a), 
the Assistant Secretary may establish an initial pe-
riod for the submission of applications for evidence- 
based programs and practices to be posted publicly 
in accordance with subsection (a) (and may establish 
subsequent such periods). The Assistant Secretary 
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shall publish notice of such application periods in 
the Federal Register. 
‘‘(2) ADDRESSING GAPS.—Such notice may so-
licit applications for evidence-based practices and 
programs to address gaps in information identified 
by the Assistant Secretary, the Assistant Secretary 
for Planning and Evaluation, the Assistant Sec-
retary for Financial Resources, or the National Men-
tal Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory, in-
cluding pursuant to priorities identified in the stra-
tegic plan established under section 501(l). 
‘‘(c) REQUIREMENTS.—The Assistant Secretary shall 
establish minimum requirements for applications referred 
to in this section, including applications related to the sub-
mission of research and evaluation. 
‘‘(d) REVIEW AND RATING.—The Assistant Secretary 
shall review applications prior to public posting, and may 
prioritize the review of applications for evidence-based 
practices and programs that are related to topics included 
in the notice established under subsection (b). The Assist-
ant Secretary shall utilize a rating and review system, 
which shall include information on the strength of evidence 
associated with such programs and practices and a rating 
of the methodological rigor of the research supporting the 
application. The Assistant Secretary shall make the 
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metrics used to evaluate applications and the resulting rat-
ings publicly available.’’. 
SEC. 603. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of the Congress that the National In-
stitute of Mental Health should conduct or support re-
search on the determinants of self-directed and other vio-
lence connected to mental illness. 
Subtitle B—Supporting the State 
Response to Mental Health Needs 
SEC. 611. COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BLOCK 
GRANT. 
(a) FORMULA GRANTS.—Section 1911(b) of the Pub-
lic Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x(b)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through 
(3) as paragraphs (2) through (4), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so re-
designated), the following: 
‘‘(1) providing community mental health serv-
ices for adults with a serious mental illness and chil-
dren with a serious emotional disturbance as defined 
in accordance with section 1912(c);’’. 
(b) STATE PLAN.—Subsection (b) of section 1912 of 
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x–1) is 
amended to read as follows: 
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‘‘(b) CRITERIA FOR PLAN.—The criteria specified in 
this subsection are as follows: 
‘‘(1) SYSTEM OF CARE.—The plan provides a 
description of the system of care of the State, in-
cluding as follows: 
‘‘(A) COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY-BASED 
HEALTH SYSTEMS.—The plan shall— 
‘‘(i) identify the single State agency to 
be responsible for the administration of the 
program under the grant and any third 
party with whom the agency will contract 
(subject to such third party complying with 
the requirements of this part) for admin-
istering mental health services through 
such program; 
‘‘(ii) provide for an organized commu-
nity-based system of care for individuals 
with mental illness, and describe available 
services and resources in a comprehensive 
system of care, including services for indi-
viduals with mental health and behavioral 
health co-occurring illness or disorders; 
‘‘(iii) include a description of the 
manner in which the State and local enti-
ties will coordinate services to maximize 
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the efficiency, effectiveness, quality, and 
cost effectiveness of services and programs 
to produce the best possible outcomes (in-
cluding health services, rehabilitation serv-
ices, employment services, housing services, 
educational services, substance use dis-
order services, legal services, law enforce-
ment services, social services, child welfare 
services, medical and dental care services, 
and other support services to be provided 
with Federal, State, and local public and 
private resources) with other agencies to 
enable individuals receiving services to 
function outside of inpatient or residential 
institutions, to the maximum extent of 
their capabilities, including services to be 
provided by local school systems under the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education 
Act; 
‘‘(iv) include a description of how the 
State— 
‘‘(I) 
promotes 
evidence-based 
practices, including those evidence- 
based programs that address the 
needs of individuals with early serious 
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mental illness regardless of the age of 
the individual at onset; 
‘‘(II) provides comprehensive in-
dividualized treatment; or 
‘‘(III) 
integrates 
mental 
and 
physical health services; 
‘‘(v) include a description of case 
management services in the State; 
‘‘(vi) include a description of activities 
that seek to engage individuals with seri-
ous mental illness or serious emotional dis-
turbance and their caregivers where appro-
priate in making health care decisions, in-
cluding activities that enhance communica-
tion between individuals, families, care-
givers, and treatment providers; and 
‘‘(vii) as appropriate to and reflective 
of the uses the State proposes for the block 
grant monies— 
‘‘(I) a description of the activities 
intended to reduce hospitalizations 
and hospital stays using the block 
grant monies; 
‘‘(II) a description of the activi-
ties intended to reduce incidents of 
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suicide using the block grant monies; 
and 
‘‘(III) a description of how the 
State integrates mental health and 
primary care using the block grant 
monies. 
‘‘(B) MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM DATA AND 
EPIDEMIOLOGY.—The plan shall contain an es-
timate of the incidence and prevalence in the 
State of serious mental illness among adults 
and serious emotional disturbance among chil-
dren and presents quantitative targets and out-
come measures for programs and services pro-
vided under this subpart. 
‘‘(C) CHILDREN’S SERVICES.—In the case 
of children with serious emotional disturbance 
(as defined in accordance with subsection (c)), 
the plan shall provide for a system of integrated 
social services, educational services, child wel-
fare services, juvenile justice services, law en-
forcement services, and substance use disorder 
services that, together with health and mental 
health services, will be provided in order for 
such children to receive care appropriate for 
their multiple needs (such system to include 
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services provided under the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act). 
‘‘(D) TARGETED SERVICES TO RURAL AND 
HOMELESS POPULATIONS.—The plan shall de-
scribe the State’s outreach to and services for 
individuals who are homeless and how commu-
nity-based services will be provided to individ-
uals residing in rural areas. 
‘‘(E) MANAGEMENT SERVICES.—The plan 
shall— 
‘‘(i) describe the financial resources 
available, the existing mental health work-
force, and the workforce trained in treating 
individuals with co-occurring mental illness 
and substance use disorders; 
‘‘(ii) provide for the training of pro-
viders of emergency health services regard-
ing mental health; 
‘‘(iii) describe the manner in which 
the State intends to expend the grant 
under section 1911 for the fiscal year in-
volved; and 
‘‘(iv) describe the manner in which 
the State intends to comply with each of 
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the funding agreements in this subpart 
and subpart III. 
‘‘(2) GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.—The plan estab-
lishes goals and objectives for the period of the plan, 
including targets and milestones that are intended to 
be met, and the activities that will be undertaken to 
achieve those goals and objectives.’’. 
(c) BEST PRACTICES IN CLINICAL CARE MODELS.— 
Section 1920 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
300x–9) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) BEST PRACTICES
IN CLINICAL CARE MOD-
ELS.—A State shall expend not less than 10 percent of 
the amount the State receives for carrying out this sub-
part in each fiscal year to support evidence-based pro-
grams that address the needs of individuals with early se-
rious mental illness, including psychotic disorders, regard-
less of the age of the individual at the onset of such ill-
ness.’’. 
(d) ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS.—Section 1915(b) of 
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x–4(b)) is 
amended— 
(1) by amending paragraph (1) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A funding agreement for a 
grant under section 1911 is that the State involved 
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will maintain State expenditures for community 
mental health services at a level that is not less than 
the average of the amounts prescribed by this para-
graph (prior to any waiver under paragraph (3)) for 
such expenditures by such State for each of the 2 
fiscal years immediately preceding the fiscal year for 
which the State is applying for the grant.’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘under subsection (a)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘specified in paragraph (1)’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘principle’’ and inserting 
‘‘principal’’; 
(3) by amending paragraph (3) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(3) WAIVER.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may, 
upon the request of a State, waive the require-
ment established in paragraph (1) in whole or 
in part, if the Secretary determines that ex-
traordinary economic conditions in the State in 
the fiscal year involved or in the previous fiscal 
year justify the waiver. 
‘‘(B) DATE
CERTAIN
FOR
ACTION
UPON 
REQUEST.—The Secretary shall approve or 
deny a request for a waiver under this para-
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graph not later than 120 days after the date on 
which the request is made. 
‘‘(C) APPLICABILITY OF WAIVER.—A waiv-
er provided by the Secretary under this para-
graph shall be applicable only to the fiscal year 
involved.’’; and 
(4) in paragraph (4)— 
(A) by amending subparagraph (A) to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(i) DETERMINATION
AND
REDUC-
TION.—The Secretary shall determine, in 
the case of each State, and for each fiscal 
year, whether the State maintained mate-
rial compliance with the agreement made 
under paragraph (1). If the Secretary de-
termines that a State has failed to main-
tain such compliance for a fiscal year, the 
Secretary shall reduce the amount of the 
allotment under section 1911 for the State, 
for the first fiscal year beginning after 
such determination is final, by an amount 
equal to the amount constituting such fail-
ure for the previous fiscal year about 
which the determination was made. 
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‘‘(ii) ALTERNATIVE
SANCTION.—The 
Secretary may by regulation provide for an 
alternative method of imposing a sanction 
for a failure by a State to maintain mate-
rial compliance with the agreement under 
paragraph (1) if the Secretary determines 
that such alternative method would be 
more equitable and would be a more effec-
tive incentive for States to maintain such 
material compliance.’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) by inserting after the subpara-
graph designation the following: ‘‘SUBMIS-
SION
OF
INFORMATION
TO
THE
SEC-
RETARY.—’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘subparagraph (A)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘subparagraph (A)(i)’’. 
(e) APPLICATION FOR GRANT.—Section 1917(a) of 
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x–6(a)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘1941’’ and 
inserting ‘‘1942(a)’’; and 
(2) 
in 
paragraph 
(5), 
by 
striking 
‘‘1915(b)(3)(B)’’ and inserting ‘‘1915(b)’’. 
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Subtitle C—Strengthening Mental 
Health Care for Children and 
Adolescents 
SEC. 621. TELE-MENTAL HEALTH CARE ACCESS GRANTS. 
Title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended 
by inserting after section 330L of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
254c–18) the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 330M. TELE-MENTAL HEALTH CARE ACCESS GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services 
Administration and in coordination with other relevant 
Federal agencies, shall award grants to States, political 
subdivisions of States, Indian tribes, and tribal organiza-
tions (for purposes of this section, as such terms are de-
fined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)) to promote 
behavioral health integration in pediatric primary care 
by— 
‘‘(1) supporting the development of statewide 
child mental health care access programs; and 
‘‘(2) supporting the improvement of existing 
statewide child mental health care access programs. 
‘‘(b) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A child mental health care 
access program referred to in subsection (a), with 
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respect to which a grant under such subsection may 
be used, shall— 
‘‘(A) be a statewide network of pediatric 
mental health teams that provide support to pe-
diatric primary care sites as an integrated 
team; 
‘‘(B) support and further develop orga-
nized State networks of child and adolescent 
psychiatrists and psychologists to provide con-
sultative support to pediatric primary care sites; 
‘‘(C) conduct an assessment of critical be-
havioral consultation needs among pediatric 
providers and such providers’ preferred mecha-
nisms for receiving consultation and training 
and technical assistance; 
‘‘(D) develop an online database and com-
munication mechanisms, including telehealth, to 
facilitate consultation support to pediatric prac-
tices; 
‘‘(E) provide rapid statewide clinical tele-
phone or telehealth consultations when re-
quested between the pediatric mental health 
teams and pediatric primary care providers; 
‘‘(F) conduct training and provide tech-
nical assistance to pediatric primary care pro-
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viders to support the early identification, diag-
nosis, treatment, and referral of children with 
behavioral health conditions or co-occurring in-
tellectual and other developmental disabilities; 
‘‘(G) provide information to pediatric pro-
viders about, and assist pediatric providers in 
accessing, child psychiatry and psychology con-
sultations and in scheduling and conducting 
technical assistance; 
‘‘(H) assist with referrals to specialty care 
and community or behavioral health resources; 
and 
‘‘(I) establish mechanisms for measuring 
and monitoring increased access to child and 
adolescent psychiatric and psychology services 
by pediatric primary care providers and ex-
panded capacity of pediatric primary care pro-
viders to identify, treat, and refer children with 
mental health problems. 
‘‘(2) PEDIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH TEAMS.—In 
this subsection, the term ‘pediatric mental health 
team’ means a team of case coordinators, child and 
adolescent psychiatrists, and licensed clinical mental 
health professionals, such as a psychologist, social 
worker, or mental health counselor. 
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‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—A State, political subdivision of 
a State, Indian tribe, or tribal organization seeking a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing 
such information as the Secretary may require, including 
a plan for the rigorous evaluation of activities that are 
carried out with funds received under such grant. 
‘‘(d) EVALUATION.—A State, political subdivision of 
a State, Indian tribe, or tribal organization that receives 
a grant under this section shall prepare and submit an 
evaluation of activities carried out with funds received 
under such grant to the Secretary at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may reasonably require, including a process and outcome 
evaluation. 
‘‘(e) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary may 
not award a grant under this section unless the State, po-
litical subdivision of a State, Indian tribe, or tribal organi-
zation involved agrees, with respect to the costs to be in-
curred by the State, political subdivision of a State, Indian 
tribe, or tribal organization in carrying out the purpose 
described in this section, to make available non-Federal 
contributions (in cash or in kind) toward such costs in 
an amount that is not less than 20 percent of Federal 
funds provided in the grant. 
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‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry this section, there are authorized to be appropriated 
$9,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2018 through 
2020.’’. 
SEC. 
622. 
INFANT 
AND 
EARLY 
CHILDHOOD 
MENTAL 
HEALTH PROMOTION, INTERVENTION, AND 
TREATMENT. 
Part Q of title III of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 290h et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 399Z–2. INFANT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD MENTAL 
HEALTH PROMOTION, INTERVENTION, AND 
TREATMENT. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS.—The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) award grants to eligible entities, including 
human services agencies, to develop, maintain, or en-
hance infant and early childhood mental health pro-
motion, intervention, and treatment programs, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(A) programs for infants and children at 
significant risk of developing, showing early 
signs of, or having been diagnosed with mental 
illness including serious emotional disturbance; 
and 
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‘‘(B) multigenerational therapy and other 
services that support the caregiving relation-
ship; and 
‘‘(2) ensure that programs funded through 
grants under this section are evidence-informed or 
evidence-based models, practices, and methods that 
are, as appropriate, culturally and linguistically ap-
propriate, and can be replicated in other appropriate 
settings. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE CHILDREN AND ENTITIES.—In this 
section: 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE
CHILD.—The term ‘eligible 
child’ means a child from birth to not more than 5 
years of age who— 
‘‘(A) is at risk for, shows early signs of, or 
has been diagnosed with a mental illness, in-
cluding serious emotional disturbance; and 
‘‘(B) may benefit from infant and early 
childhood intervention or treatment programs 
or specialized preschool or elementary school 
programs that are evidence-based or that have 
been scientifically demonstrated to show prom-
ise but would benefit from further applied de-
velopment. 
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‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ means a nonprofit institution that— 
‘‘(A) is accredited or approved by a State 
mental health or education agency, as applica-
ble, to provide for children from infancy to 5 
years of age mental health promotion, interven-
tion, or treatment services that are evidence- 
based or that have been scientifically dem-
onstrated to show promise but would benefit 
from further applied development; and 
‘‘(B) provides programs described in sub-
section (a) that are evidence-based or that have 
been scientifically demonstrated to show prom-
ise but would benefit from further applied de-
velopment. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity seeking a 
grant under subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretary 
an application at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary may require. 
‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS FOR EARLY INTERVENTION AND 
TREATMENT PROGRAMS.—An eligible entity may use 
amounts awarded under a grant under subsection (a)(1) 
to carry out the following: 
‘‘(1) Provide age-appropriate mental health pro-
motion and early intervention services or mental ill-
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ness treatment services, which may include special-
ized programs, for eligible children at significant 
risk of developing, showing early signs of, or having 
been diagnosed with a mental illness, including seri-
ous emotional disturbance. Such services may in-
clude social and behavioral services as well as 
multigenerational therapy and other services ?that 
support the caregiving relationship. 
‘‘(2) Provide training for health care profes-
sionals with expertise in infant and early childhood 
mental health care with respect to appropriate and 
relevant integration with other disciplines such as 
primary care clinicians, early intervention specialists, 
child welfare staff, home visitors, early care and edu-
cation providers, and others who work with young 
children and families. 
‘‘(3) Provide mental health consultation to per-
sonnel of early care and education programs (includ-
ing licensed or regulated center-based and home- 
based child care, home visiting, preschool special 
education, and early intervention programs) who 
work with children and families. 
‘‘(4) Provide training for mental health clini-
cians in infant and early childhood in promising and 
evidence-based practices and models for infant and 
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early childhood mental health treatment and early 
intervention, including with regard to practices for 
identifying and treating mental illness and behav-
ioral disorders of infants and children resulting from 
exposure or repeated exposure to adverse childhood 
experiences or childhood trauma. 
‘‘(5) Provide age-appropriate assessment, diag-
nostic, and intervention services for eligible children, 
including early mental health promotion, interven-
tion, and treatment services. 
‘‘(e) MATCHING FUNDS.—The Secretary may not 
award a grant under this section to an eligible entity un-
less the eligible entity agrees, with respect to the costs to 
be incurred by the eligible entity in carrying out the activi-
ties described in subsection (d), to make available non- 
Federal contributions (in cash or in kind) toward such 
costs in an amount that is not less than 10 percent of 
the total amount of Federal funds provided in the grant. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry this section, there are authorized to be appropriated 
$20,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2018 through 
2022.’’. 
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SEC. 623. NATIONAL CHILD TRAUMATIC STRESS INITIA-
TIVE. 
Section 582 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 290hh–1; relating to grants to address the prob-
lems of persons who experience violence related stress) is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘developing 
programs’’ and all that follows and inserting the fol-
lowing: ‘‘developing and maintaining programs that 
provide for— 
‘‘(1) the continued operation of the National 
Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (referred to in this 
section as the ‘NCTSI’), which includes a coordi-
nating center that focuses on the mental, behavioral, 
and biological aspects of psychological trauma re-
sponse; and 
‘‘(2) the development of knowledge with regard 
to evidence-based practices for identifying and treat-
ing mental illness, behavioral disorders, and physical 
health conditions of children and youth resulting 
from witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event.’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘subsection (a) related’’ 
and inserting ‘‘subsection (a)(2) (related’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘treating disorders associ-
ated with psychological trauma’’ and inserting 
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‘‘treating mental illness and behavioral and bio-
logical disorders associated with psychological 
trauma)’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘mental health agencies 
and programs that have established clinical and 
basic research’’ and inserting ‘‘universities, hos-
pitals, mental health agencies, and other pro-
grams that have established clinical expertise 
and research’’; 
(3) by redesignating subsections (c) through (g) 
as subsections (g) through (k), respectively; 
(4) by inserting after subsection (b), the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(c) CHILD OUTCOME DATA.—The NCTSI coordi-
nating center shall collect, analyze, report, and make pub-
licly available NCTSI-wide child treatment process and 
outcome data regarding the early identification and deliv-
ery of evidence-based treatment and services for children 
and families served by the NCTSI grantees. 
‘‘(d) TRAINING.—The NCTSI coordinating center 
shall facilitate the coordination of training initiatives in 
evidence-based and trauma-informed treatments, interven-
tions, and practices offered to NCTSI grantees, providers, 
and partners. 
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‘‘(e) DISSEMINATION.—The NCTSI coordinating 
center shall, as appropriate, collaborate with the Secretary 
in the dissemination of evidence-based and trauma-in-
formed interventions, treatments, products, and other re-
sources to appropriate stakeholders. 
‘‘(f) REVIEW.—The Secretary shall, consistent with 
the peer-review process, ensure that NCTSI applications 
are reviewed by appropriate experts in the field as part 
of a consensus review process. The Secretary shall include 
review criteria related to expertise and experience in child 
trauma and evidence-based practices.’’; 
(5) in subsection (g) (as so redesignated), by 
striking ‘‘with respect to centers of excellence are 
distributed equitably among the regions of the coun-
try’’ and inserting ‘‘are distributed equitably among 
the regions of the United States’’; 
(6) in subsection (i) (as so redesignated), by 
striking ‘‘recipient may not exceed 5 years’’ and in-
serting ‘‘recipient shall not be less than 4 years, but 
shall not exceed 5 years’’; and 
(7) in subsection (j) (as so redesignated), by 
striking ‘‘$50,000,000’’ and all that follows through 
‘‘2006’’ and inserting ‘‘$46,887,000 for each of fis-
cal years 2017 through 2021’’. 
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TITLE 
VII—GRANT 
PROGRAMS 
AND PROGRAM REAUTHOR-
IZATION 
Subtitle A—Garrett Lee Smith 
Memorial Act Reauthorization 
SEC. 701. YOUTH INTERAGENCY RESEARCH, TRAINING, AND 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTERS. 
Section 520C of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 290bb–34) is amended— 
(1) by striking the section heading and insert-
ing ‘‘SUICIDE PREVENTION TECHNICAL ASSIST-
ANCE CENTER.’’; 
(2) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘and in con-
sultation with’’ and all that follows through the pe-
riod at the end of paragraph (2) and inserting ‘‘shall 
establish a research, training, and technical assist-
ance resource center to provide appropriate informa-
tion, training, and technical assistance to States, po-
litical subdivisions of States, federally recognized In-
dian tribes, tribal organizations, institutions of high-
er education, public organizations, or private non-
profit organizations regarding the prevention of sui-
cide among all ages, particularly among groups that 
are at high risk for suicide.’’; 
(3) by striking subsections (b) and (c); 
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(4) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (b); 
(5) in subsection (b), as so redesignated— 
(A) by striking the subsection heading and 
inserting ‘‘RESPONSIBILITIES
OF
THE
CEN-
TER.—’’; 
(B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘The additional research’’ and all 
that follows through ‘‘nonprofit organizations 
for’’ and inserting ‘‘The center established 
under subsection (a) shall conduct activities for 
the purpose of’’; 
(C) by striking ‘‘youth suicide’’ each place 
such term appears and inserting ‘‘suicide’’; 
(D) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘the development or 
continuation of’’ and inserting ‘‘developing 
and continuing’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘for all ages, particu-
larly among groups that are at high risk 
for suicide’’ before the semicolon at the 
end; 
(E) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘for all 
ages, particularly among groups that are at 
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high risk for suicide’’ before the semicolon at 
the end; 
(F) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘and 
tribal’’ after ‘‘statewide’’; 
(G) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘and 
prevention’’ after ‘‘intervention’’; 
(H) in paragraph (8), by striking ‘‘in 
youth’’; 
(I) in paragraph (9), by striking ‘‘and be-
havioral health’’ and inserting ‘‘health and sub-
stance use disorder’’; and 
(J) in paragraph (10), by inserting ‘‘con-
ducting’’ before ‘‘other’’; and 
(6) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 
purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized 
to be appropriated $5,988,000 for each of fiscal years 
2017 through 2021. 
‘‘(d) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of the Helping Families in Mental Health 
Crisis Act of 2016, the Secretary shall submit to Congress 
a report on the activities carried out by the center estab-
lished under subsection (a) during the year involved, in-
cluding the potential effects of such activities, and the 
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States, organizations, and institutions that have worked 
with the center.’’. 
SEC. 702. YOUTH SUICIDE EARLY INTERVENTION AND PRE-
VENTION STRATEGIES. 
Section 520E of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 290bb–36) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) and in 
subsection (c), by striking ‘‘substance abuse’’ each 
place such term appears and inserting ‘‘substance 
use disorder’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)(2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘each State is awarded 
only 1 grant or cooperative agreement under 
this section’’ and inserting ‘‘a State does not 
receive more than one grant or cooperative 
agreement under this section at any one time’’; 
and 
(B) by striking ‘‘been awarded’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘received’’; and 
(3) by striking subsection (m) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(m) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For 
the purpose of carrying out this section, there are author-
ized to be appropriated $35,427,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2017 through 2021.’’. 
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SEC. 703. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DIS-
ORDER SERVICES ON CAMPUS. 
Section 520E–2 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 290bb–36b) is amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘AND 
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH’’ and inserting ‘‘HEALTH 
AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Services,’’ and inserting 
‘‘Services and’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘and behavioral health 
problems’’ and inserting ‘‘health or substance 
use disorders’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘substance abuse’’ and in-
serting ‘‘substance use disorders’’; 
(3) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘for—’’ and inserting ‘‘for one or 
more of the following:’’; and 
(B) by striking paragraphs (1) through (6) 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) Educating students, families, faculty, and 
staff to increase awareness of mental health and 
substance use disorders. 
‘‘(2) The operation of hotlines. 
‘‘(3) Preparing informational material. 
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‘‘(4) Providing outreach services to notify stu-
dents about available mental health and substance 
use disorder services. 
‘‘(5) Administering voluntary mental health and 
substance use disorder screenings and assessments. 
‘‘(6) Supporting the training of students, fac-
ulty, and staff to respond effectively to students with 
mental health and substance use disorders. 
‘‘(7) Creating a network infrastructure to link 
colleges and universities with health care providers 
who treat mental health and substance use dis-
orders.’’; 
(4) in subsection (c)(5), by striking ‘‘substance 
abuse’’ and inserting ‘‘substance use disorder’’; 
(5) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘An institution of higher education 
desiring a grant under this section’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, an institution of higher education’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) 
by 
striking 
‘‘and 
behavioral 
health’’ and inserting ‘‘health and sub-
stance use disorder’’; and 
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(ii) by inserting ‘‘, including veterans 
whenever possible and appropriate,’’ after 
‘‘students’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘, which 
may include, as appropriate and in accordance 
with subsection (b)(7), a plan to seek input 
from relevant stakeholders in the community, 
including appropriate public and private enti-
ties, in order to carry out the program under 
the grant’’ before the period at the end; 
(6) in subsection (e)(1), by striking ‘‘and behav-
ioral health problems’’ and inserting ‘‘health and 
substance use disorders’’; 
(7) in subsection (f)(2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘and behavioral health’’ 
and inserting ‘‘health and substance use dis-
order’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘suicide and substance 
abuse’’ and inserting ‘‘suicide and substance 
use disorders’’; and 
(8) in subsection (h), by striking ‘‘$5,000,000 
for fiscal year 2005’’ and all that follows through 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘$6,488,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021.’’. 
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Subtitle B—Other Provisions 
SEC. 711. NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE PRO-
GRAM. 
Subpart 3 of part B of title V of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb–31 et seq.) is amended by 
inserting after section 520E–2 (42 U.S.C. 290bb–36b) the 
following: 
‘‘SEC. 520E–3. NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE 
PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Assistant Secretary, shall maintain the National Sui-
cide Prevention Lifeline Program (referred to in this sec-
tion as the ‘Program’), authorized under section 520A and 
in effect prior to the date of enactment of the Helping 
Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2016. 
‘‘(b) ACTIVITIES.—In maintaining the Program, the 
activities of the Secretary shall include— 
‘‘(1) coordinating a network of crisis centers 
across the United States for providing suicide pre-
vention and crisis intervention services to individuals 
seeking help at any time, day or night; 
‘‘(2) maintaining a suicide prevention hotline to 
link callers to local emergency, mental health, and 
social services resources; and 
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‘‘(3) consulting with the Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs to ensure that veterans calling the suicide 
prevention hotline have access to a specialized vet-
erans’ suicide prevention hotline. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry out this section, there are authorized to be appro-
priated $7,198,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 
2021.’’. 
SEC. 712. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT STUDIES AND RE-
PORTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary for 
Mental Health and Substance Use, in consultation with 
the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services 
Administration, shall conduct a study, and publicly post 
on the appropriate Internet website of the Department of 
Health and Human Services a report, on the mental 
health and substance use disorder workforce in order to 
inform Federal, State, and local efforts related to work-
force enhancement. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The report under this section shall 
contain— 
(1) national and State-level projections of the 
supply and demand of mental health and substance 
use disorder health workers, including the number of 
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individuals practicing in fields deemed relevant by 
the Secretary; 
(2) an assessment of the mental health and 
substance use disorder workforce capacity, strengths, 
and weaknesses as of the date of the report, includ-
ing the capacity of primary care to prevent, screen, 
treat, or refer for mental health and substance use 
disorders; 
(3) information on trends within the mental 
health and substance use disorder provider work-
force, including the number of individuals entering 
the mental health workforce over the next 5 years; 
(4) information on the gaps in workforce devel-
opment for mental health providers and profes-
sionals, including those who serve pediatric, adult, 
and geriatric patients; and 
(5) any additional information determined by 
the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Sub-
stance Use, in consultation with the Administrator 
of the Health Resources and Services Administra-
tion, to be relevant to the mental health and sub-
stance use disorder provider workforce. 
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SEC. 713. MINORITY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. 
Title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
290aa et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘PART K—MINORITY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM 
‘‘SEC. 597. FELLOWSHIPS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall maintain a 
program, to be known as the Minority Fellowship Pro-
gram, under which the Secretary awards fellowships, 
which may include stipends, for the purposes of— 
‘‘(1) increasing behavioral health practitioners’ 
knowledge of issues related to prevention, treatment, 
and recovery support for mental illness and sub-
stance use disorders among racial and ethnic minor-
ity populations; 
‘‘(2) improving the quality of mental illness and 
substance use disorder prevention and treatment de-
livered to racial and ethnic minorities; and 
‘‘(3) increasing the number of culturally com-
petent behavioral health professionals and school 
personnel who teach, administer, conduct services re-
search, and provide direct mental health or sub-
stance use services to racial and ethnic minority 
populations. 
‘‘(b) TRAINING COVERED.—The fellowships under 
subsection (a) shall be for postbaccalaureate training (in-
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cluding for master’s and doctoral degrees) for mental 
health professionals, including in the fields of psychiatry, 
nursing, social work, psychology, marriage and family 
therapy, mental health counseling, and substance use and 
addiction counseling. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry out this section, there are authorized to be appro-
priated $12,669,000 for each of fiscal years 2017, 2018, 
and 2019 and $13,669,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 
and 2021.’’. 
SEC. 714. CENTER AND PROGRAM REPEALS. 
Part B of title V of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 290bb et seq.) is amended by striking the sec-
ond section 514 (42 U.S.C. 290bb–9), relating to meth-
amphetamine and amphetamine treatment initiatives, and 
sections 514A, 517, 519A, 519C, 519E, 520D, and 520H 
(42 U.S.C. 290bb–8, 290bb–23, 290bb–25a, 290bb–25c, 
290bb–25e, 290bb–35, and 290bb–39). 
SEC. 715. NATIONAL VIOLENT DEATH REPORTING SYSTEM. 
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention, is encouraged to improve, particularly 
through the inclusion of additional States, the National 
Violent Death Reporting System as authorized by title III 
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.). 
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Participation in the system by the States shall be vol-
untary. 
SEC. 716. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PRIORITIZING NATIVE 
AMERICAN YOUTH AND SUICIDE PREVEN-
TION PROGRAMS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds as follows: 
(1) Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death 
among American Indians and Alaska Natives across 
all ages. 
(2) Among American Indians and Alaska Na-
tives who are 10 to 34 years of age, suicide is the 
second leading cause of death. 
(3) The suicide rate among American Indian 
and Alaska Native adolescents and young adults 
ages 15 to 34 (19.5 per 100,000) is 1.5 times higher 
than the national average for that age group (12.9 
per 100,000). 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
in carrying out programs for Native American youth and 
suicide prevention programs for youth suicide interven-
tion, should prioritize programs and activities for individ-
uals who have a high risk or disproportional burden of 
suicide, such as Native Americans. 
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SEC. 717. PEER PROFESSIONAL WORKFORCE DEVELOP-
MENT GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For the purposes described in 
subsection (b), the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices shall award grants to develop and sustain behavioral 
health paraprofessional training and education programs, 
including through tuition support. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of grants under this 
section are— 
(1) to increase the number of behavioral health 
paraprofessionals, including trained peers, recovery 
coaches, mental health and addiction specialists, pre-
vention specialists, and pre-masters-level addiction 
counselors; and 
(2) to help communities develop the infrastruc-
ture to train and certify peers as behavioral health 
paraprofessionals. 
(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this section, an entity shall be a community 
college or other entity the Secretary deems appropriate. 
(d) 
GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTION.—In 
awarding 
grants under this section, the Secretary shall seek to 
achieve an appropriate national balance in the geographic 
distribution of such awards. 
(e) SPECIAL CONSIDERATION.—In awarding grants 
under this section, the Secretary may give special consid-
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eration to proposed and existing programs targeting peer 
professionals serving youth ages 16 to 25. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 
$10,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2018 through 
2022. 
SEC. 718. NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.— 
(1) 
PRIMARY
HEALTH
SERVICES.—Section 
331(a)(3)(D) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 254d(a)(3)) is amended by inserting ‘‘(in-
cluding pediatric mental health subspecialty serv-
ices)’’ after ‘‘pediatrics’’. 
(2) BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH PRO-
FESSIONALS.—Clause (i) of section 331(a)(3)(E) of 
the 
Public 
Health 
Service 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
254d(a)(3)(E)) is amended by inserting ‘‘(and pedi-
atric subspecialists thereof)’’ before the period at the 
end. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN LOAN REPAY-
MENT PROGRAM.—Section 338B(b)(1)(B) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l–1(b)(1)(B)) is amend-
ed by inserting ‘‘, including any physician child and ado-
lescent psychiatry residency or fellowship training pro-
gram’’ after ‘‘be enrolled in an approved graduate training 
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program in medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, be-
havioral and mental health, or other health profession’’. 
SEC. 719. ADULT SUICIDE PREVENTION. 
(a) GRANTS.— 
(1) AUTHORITY.—The Assistant Secretary for 
Mental Health and Substance Use (referred to in 
this section as the ‘‘Assistant Secretary’’) may 
award grants to eligible entities in order to imple-
ment suicide prevention efforts amongst adults 25 
and older. 
(2) PURPOSE.—The grant program under this 
section shall be designed to raise suicide awareness, 
establish referral processes, and improve clinical care 
practice standards for treating suicide ideation, 
plans, and attempts among adults. 
(3) RECIPIENTS.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant under this section, an entity shall be a com-
munity-based primary care or behavioral health care 
setting, an emergency department, a State mental 
health agency, an Indian tribe, a tribal organization, 
or any other entity the Assistant Secretary deems 
appropriate. 
(4) NATURE
OF
ACTIVITIES.—The grants 
awarded under paragraph (1) shall be used to imple-
ment programs that— 
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(A) screen for suicide risk in adults and 
provide intervention and referral to treatment; 
(B) implement evidence-based practices to 
treat individuals who are at suicide risk, includ-
ing appropriate followup services; and 
(C) raise awareness, reduce stigma, and 
foster open dialogue about suicide prevention. 
(b) ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES.—The Assistant Sec-
retary shall— 
(1) evaluate the activities supported by grants 
awarded under subsection (a) in order to further the 
Nation’s understanding of effective interventions to 
prevent suicide in adults; 
(2) disseminate the findings from the evaluation 
as the Assistant Secretary considers appropriate; 
and 
(3) provide appropriate information, training, 
and technical assistance to eligible entities that re-
ceive a grant under this section, in order to help 
such entities to meet the requirements of this sec-
tion, including assistance with— 
(A) selection and implementation of evi-
dence-based interventions and frameworks to 
prevent suicide, such as the Zero Suicide frame-
work; and 
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(B) other activities as the Assistant Sec-
retary determines appropriate. 
(c) DURATION.—A grant under this section shall be 
for a period of not more than 5 years. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 
for the period of fiscal years 2018 through 2022. 
(2) USE OF CERTAIN FUNDS.—Of the funds ap-
propriated to carry out this section in any fiscal 
year, the lesser of 5 percent of such funds or 
$500,000 shall be available to the Assistant Sec-
retary for purposes of carrying out subsection (b). 
SEC. 720. CRISIS INTERVENTION GRANTS FOR POLICE OF-
FICERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary for Men-
tal Health and Substance Use may award grants to enti-
ties such as law enforcement agencies and first respond-
ers— 
(1) to provide specialized training to law en-
forcement officers, corrections officers, paramedics, 
emergency medical services workers, and other first 
responders (including village public safety officers 
(as defined in section 247 of the Indian Arts and 
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Crafts Amendments Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd 
note)))— 
(A) to recognize individuals who have men-
tal illness and how to properly intervene with 
individuals with mental illness; and 
(B) to establish programs that enhance the 
ability of law enforcement agencies to address 
the mental health, behavioral, and substance 
use problems of individuals encountered in the 
line of duty; and 
(2) to establish collaborative law enforcement 
and mental health programs, including behavioral 
health response teams and mental health crisis inter-
vention teams comprised of mental health profes-
sionals, law enforcement officers, and other first re-
sponders, as appropriate, to provide on-site, face-to- 
face, mental and behavioral health care services dur-
ing a mental health crisis, and to connect the indi-
vidual in crisis to appropriate community-based 
treatment services in lieu of unnecessary hospitaliza-
tion or further involvement with the criminal justice 
system. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
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$9,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2018 through 
2020. 
SEC. 721. DEMONSTRATION GRANT PROGRAM TO TRAIN 
HEALTH SERVICE PSYCHOLOGISTS IN COM-
MUNITY-BASED MENTAL HEALTH. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall establish a grant program under 
which the Assistant Secretary of Mental Health and Sub-
stance Use Disorders may award grants to eligible institu-
tions to support the recruitment, education, and clinical 
training experiences of health services psychology stu-
dents, interns, and postdoctoral residents for education 
and clinical experience in community mental health set-
tings. 
(b) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS.—For purposes of this 
section, the term ‘‘eligible institutions’’ includes American 
Psychological Association-accredited doctoral, internship, 
and postdoctoral residency schools or programs in health 
service psychology that— 
(1) are focused on the development and imple-
mentation of interdisciplinary training of psychology 
graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in pro-
viding mental and behavioral health services to ad-
dress substance use disorders, serious emotional dis-
turbance, and serious illness, as well as developing 
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faculty and implementing curriculum to prepare psy-
chologists to work with underserved populations; and 
(2) demonstrate an ability to train health serv-
ice psychologists in psychiatric hospitals, forensic 
hospitals, community mental health centers, commu-
nity health centers, federally qualified health centers, 
or adult and juvenile correctional facilities. 
(c) PRIORITIES.—In selecting grant recipients under 
this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible in-
stitutions in which training focuses on the needs of indi-
viduals with serious mental illness, serious emotional dis-
turbance, justice-involved youth, and individuals with or 
at high risk for substance use disorders. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$12,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2018 through 
2022. 
SEC. 
722. 
INVESTMENT 
IN 
TOMORROW’S 
PEDIATRIC 
HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE. 
Section 775(e) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 295f(e)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry out this section, there is authorized to be appro-
priated $12,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2018 
through 2022.’’. 
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SEC. 723. CUTGO COMPLIANCE. 
Section 319D(f) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 247d–4(f)) is amended by striking ‘‘$138,300,000 
for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018’’ and inserting 
‘‘$138,300,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2016 
and $58,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 and 2018’’. 
TITLE VIII—MENTAL HEALTH 
PARITY 
SEC. 801. ENHANCED COMPLIANCE WITH MENTAL HEALTH 
AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER COVERAGE 
REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) 
COMPLIANCE
PROGRAM
GUIDANCE
DOCU-
MENT.—Section 2726(a) of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 300gg–26(a)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(6) COMPLIANCE PROGRAM GUIDANCE DOCU-
MENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 12 
months after the date of enactment of the 
Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act 
of 2016, the Secretary, the Secretary of Labor, 
and the Secretary of the Treasury, in consulta-
tion with the Inspector General of the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services, shall 
issue a compliance program guidance document 
to help improve compliance with this section, 
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section 712 of the Employee Retirement Income 
Security Act of 1974, and section 9812 of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as applicable. 
‘‘(B) EXAMPLES
ILLUSTRATING
COMPLI-
ANCE AND NONCOMPLIANCE.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—The compliance 
program 
guidance 
document 
required 
under this paragraph shall provide illus-
trative, de-identified examples (that do not 
disclose any protected health information 
or individually identifiable information) of 
previous findings of compliance and non-
compliance with this section, section 712 of 
the Employee Retirement Income Security 
Act of 1974, or section 9812 of the Inter-
nal Revenue Code of 1986, as applicable, 
based on investigations of violations of 
such sections, including— 
‘‘(I) examples illustrating re-
quirements for information disclosures 
and nonquantitative treatment limita-
tions; and 
‘‘(II) descriptions of the viola-
tions uncovered during the course of 
such investigations. 
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‘‘(ii) NONQUANTITATIVE TREATMENT 
LIMITATIONS.—To the extent that any ex-
ample described in clause (i) involves a 
finding of compliance or noncompliance 
with regard to any requirement for non-
quantitative treatment limitations, the ex-
ample shall provide sufficient detail to fully 
explain such finding, including a full de-
scription of the criteria involved for med-
ical and surgical benefits and the criteria 
involved for mental health and substance 
use disorder benefits. 
‘‘(iii) ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL INFOR-
MATION REGARDING COMPLIANCE.—In de-
veloping and issuing the compliance pro-
gram guidance document required under 
this paragraph, the Secretaries specified in 
subparagraph (A)— 
‘‘(I) shall enter into interagency 
agreements with the Inspector Gen-
eral of the Department of Health and 
Human Services, the Inspector Gen-
eral of the Department of Labor, and 
the Inspector General of the Depart-
ment of the Treasury to share find-
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ings of compliance and noncompliance 
with this section, section 712 of the 
Employee Retirement Income Security 
Act of 1974, or section 9812 of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as 
applicable; and 
‘‘(II) shall seek to enter into an 
agreement with a State to share infor-
mation on findings of compliance and 
noncompliance with this section, sec-
tion 712 of the Employee Retirement 
Income Security Act of 1974, or sec-
tion 9812 of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986, as applicable. 
‘‘(C) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The compli-
ance program guidance document shall include 
recommendations to comply with this section, 
section 712 of the Employee Retirement Income 
Security Act of 1974, or section 9812 of the In-
ternal Revenue Code of 1986, as applicable, and 
encourage the development and use of internal 
controls to monitor adherence to applicable 
statutes, regulations, and program require-
ments. Such internal controls may include a 
compliance checklist with illustrative examples 
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of nonquantitative treatment limitations on 
mental health and substance use disorder bene-
fits, which may fail to comply with this section, 
section 712 of the Employee Retirement Income 
Security Act of 1974, or section 9812 of the In-
ternal Revenue Code of 1986, as applicable, in 
relation to nonquantitative treatment limita-
tions on medical and surgical benefits. 
‘‘(D) UPDATING
THE
COMPLIANCE
PRO-
GRAM GUIDANCE DOCUMENT.—The compliance 
program guidance document shall be updated 
every 2 years to include illustrative, de-identi-
fied examples (that do not disclose any pro-
tected health information or individually identi-
fiable information) of previous findings of com-
pliance and noncompliance with this section, 
section 712 of the Employee Retirement Income 
Security Act of 1974, or section 9812 of the In-
ternal Revenue Code of 1986, as applicable.’’. 
(b) ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE.—Section 2726(a) of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg–26(a)), as 
amended by subsection (a), is further amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(7) ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE.— 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of the Helping 
Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2016, 
the Secretary, in coordination with the Sec-
retary of Labor and the Secretary of the Treas-
ury, shall issue guidance to group health plans 
and health insurance issuers offering group or 
individual health insurance coverage to assist 
such plans and issuers in satisfying the require-
ments of this section, section 712 of the Em-
ployee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 
or section 9812 of the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986, as applicable,. 
‘‘(B) DISCLOSURE.— 
‘‘(i) GUIDANCE
FOR
PLANS
AND 
ISSUERS.—The guidance issued under this 
paragraph shall include clarifying informa-
tion and illustrative examples of methods 
that group health plans and health insur-
ance issuers offering group or individual 
health insurance coverage may use for dis-
closing information to ensure compliance 
with the requirements under this section, 
section 712 of the Employee Retirement 
Income Security Act of 1974, or section 
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9812 of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986, as applicable, (and any regulations 
promulgated pursuant to such sections, as 
applicable). 
‘‘(ii) DOCUMENTS FOR PARTICIPANTS, 
BENEFICIARIES, CONTRACTING PROVIDERS, 
OR AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVES.—The 
guidance issued under this paragraph shall 
include clarifying information and illus-
trative examples of methods that group 
health plans and health insurance issuers 
offering group or individual health insur-
ance coverage may use to provide any par-
ticipant, beneficiary, contracting provider, 
or authorized representative, as applicable, 
with documents containing information 
that the health plans or issuers are re-
quired to disclose to participants, bene-
ficiaries, contracting providers, or author-
ized representatives to ensure compliance 
with this section, section 712 of the Em-
ployee Retirement Income Security Act of 
1974, or section 9812 of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986, as applicable; any reg-
ulation issued pursuant to such respective 
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section, or any other applicable law or reg-
ulation, including information that is com-
parative in nature with respect to— 
‘‘(I) nonquantitative treatment 
limitations for both medical and sur-
gical benefits and mental health and 
substance use disorder benefits; 
‘‘(II) the processes, strategies, 
evidentiary standards, and other fac-
tors used to apply the limitations de-
scribed in subclause (I); and 
‘‘(III) the application of the limi-
tations described in subclause (I) to 
ensure that such limitations are ap-
plied in parity with respect to both 
medical and surgical benefits and 
mental health and substance use dis-
order benefits. 
‘‘(C) NONQUANTITATIVE TREATMENT LIM-
ITATIONS.—The guidance issued under this 
paragraph shall include clarifying information 
and illustrative examples of methods, processes, 
strategies, evidentiary standards, and other fac-
tors that group health plans and health insur-
ance issuers offering group or individual health 
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insurance coverage may use regarding the de-
velopment and application of nonquantitative 
treatment limitations to ensure compliance with 
this section, section 712 of the Employee Re-
tirement Income Security Act of 1974, or sec-
tion 9812 of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986, as applicable, (and any regulations pro-
mulgated pursuant to such respective section), 
including— 
‘‘(i) examples of methods of deter-
mining appropriate types of nonquantita-
tive treatment limitations with respect to 
both medical and surgical benefits and 
mental health and substance use disorder 
benefits, including nonquantitative treat-
ment limitations pertaining to— 
‘‘(I) medical management stand-
ards based on medical necessity or ap-
propriateness, or whether a treatment 
is experimental or investigative; 
‘‘(II) limitations with respect to 
prescription drug formulary design; 
and 
‘‘(III) use of fail-first or step 
therapy protocols; 
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‘‘(ii) examples of methods of deter-
mining— 
‘‘(I) network admission standards 
(such as credentialing); and 
‘‘(II) factors used in provider re-
imbursement methodologies (such as 
service type, geographic market, de-
mand for services, and provider sup-
ply, practice size, training, experience, 
and licensure) as such factors apply to 
network adequacy; 
‘‘(iii) examples of sources of informa-
tion that may serve as evidentiary stand-
ards for the purposes of making deter-
minations regarding the development and 
application of nonquantitative treatment 
limitations; 
‘‘(iv) examples of specific factors, and 
the evidentiary standards used to evaluate 
such factors, used by such plans or issuers 
in performing a nonquantitative treatment 
limitation analysis; 
‘‘(v) examples of how specific evi-
dentiary standards may be used to deter-
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mine whether treatments are considered 
experimental or investigative; 
‘‘(vi) examples of how specific evi-
dentiary standards may be applied to each 
service category or classification of bene-
fits; 
‘‘(vii) examples of methods of reach-
ing appropriate coverage determinations 
for new mental health or substance use 
disorder treatments, such as evidence- 
based early intervention programs for indi-
viduals with a serious mental illness and 
types of medical management techniques; 
‘‘(viii) examples of methods of reach-
ing appropriate coverage determinations 
for which there is an indirect relationship 
between the covered mental health or sub-
stance use disorder benefit and a tradi-
tional covered medical and surgical benefit, 
such as residential treatment or hos-
pitalizations involving voluntary or involun-
tary commitment; and 
‘‘(ix) additional illustrative examples 
of methods, processes, strategies, evi-
dentiary standards, and other factors for 
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which the Secretary determines that addi-
tional guidance is necessary to improve 
compliance with this section, section 712 of 
the Employee Retirement Income Security 
Act of 1974, or section 9812 of the Inter-
nal Revenue Code of 1986, as applicable. 
‘‘(D) PUBLIC COMMENT.—Prior to issuing 
any final guidance under this paragraph, the 
Secretary shall provide a public comment period 
of not less than 60 days during which any 
member of the public may provide comments on 
a draft of the guidance.’’. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF PLAN INFORMATION.— 
(1) PHSA AMENDMENT.—Paragraph (4) of 
section 2726(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 300gg–26(a)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(4) AVAILABILITY OF PLAN INFORMATION.— 
The criteria for medical necessity determinations 
made under the plan or health insurance coverage 
with respect to mental health or substance use dis-
order benefits or medical or surgical benefits, the 
reason for denial of any such benefits, and any other 
information appropriate to demonstrate compliance 
under this section (including any such medical and 
surgical information) shall be made available by the 
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plan administrator (or the health insurance issuer 
offering such coverage) in accordance with applicable 
regulations to the current or potential participant, 
beneficiary, or contracting provider involved upon re-
quest. The Secretary may promulgate any such reg-
ulations, including interim final regulations or tem-
porary regulations, as may be appropriate to carry 
out this paragraph.’’. 
(2) ERISA AMENDMENT.—Paragraph (4) of 
section 712(a) of the Employee Retirement Income 
Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1185a(a)) is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(4) AVAILABILITY OF PLAN INFORMATION.— 
The criteria for medical necessity determinations 
made under the plan with respect to mental health 
or substance use disorder benefits or medical or sur-
gical benefits (or the health insurance coverage of-
fered in connection with the plan with respect to 
such benefits), the reason for denial of any such 
benefits, and any other information appropriate to 
demonstrate compliance under this section (includ-
ing any such medical and surgical information) shall 
be made available by the plan administrator (or the 
health insurance issuer offering such coverage) in 
accordance with applicable regulations to the current 
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or potential participant, beneficiary, or contracting 
provider involved upon request. The Secretary may 
promulgate any such regulations, including interim 
final regulations or temporary regulations, as may 
be appropriate to carry out this paragraph.’’. 
(3) IRC AMENDMENT.—Paragraph (4) of sec-
tion 9812(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(4) AVAILABILITY OF PLAN INFORMATION.— 
The criteria for medical necessity determinations 
made under the plan with respect to mental health 
or substance use disorder benefits or medical or sur-
gical benefits, the reason for denial of any such ben-
efits, and any other information appropriate to dem-
onstrate compliance under this section (including 
any such medical and surgical information) shall be 
made available by the plan administrator in accord-
ance with applicable regulations to the current or 
potential participant, beneficiary, or contracting pro-
vider involved upon request. The Secretary may pro-
mulgate any such regulations, including interim final 
regulations or temporary regulations, as may be ap-
propriate to carry out this paragraph.’’. 
(d) IMPROVING COMPLIANCE.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—In the case that the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary 
of Labor, or the Secretary of the Treasury deter-
mines that a group health plan or health insurance 
issuer offering group or individual health insurance 
coverage has violated, at least five times, section 
2726 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
300gg–26), section 712 of the Employee Retirement 
Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1185a), or 
section 9812 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 
respectively, the appropriate Secretary shall audit 
plan documents for such health plan or issuer in the 
plan year following the Secretary’s determination in 
order to help improve compliance with such section. 
(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
subsection shall be construed to limit the authority, 
as in effect on the day before the date of enactment 
of this Act, of the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, the Secretary of Labor, or the Secretary of 
the Treasury to audit documents of health plans or 
health insurance issuers. 
SEC. 802. ACTION PLAN FOR ENHANCED ENFORCEMENT OF 
MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DIS-
ORDER COVERAGE. 
(a) PUBLIC MEETING.— 
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