I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6397 
To improve mental health and substance abuse treatment services. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 6, 2006 
Mr. JEFFERSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on 
Education and the Workforce, Ways and Means, and Judiciary, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To improve mental health and substance abuse treatment 
services. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Ensuring Mental Health Service Access Act of 2006’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—PUBLIC HEALTH INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE MENTAL 
HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES 
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Sec. 101. Mental health services for children, adolescents, and their families. 
Sec. 102. Initiative for comprehensive, intersystem programs. 
Sec. 103. Grants to States and political subdivisions for mental health services 
in response to public health emergencies. 
Sec. 104. Grants to States for statewide mental health disaster plans. 
Sec. 105. National mental health crisis response technical assistance center. 
Sec. 106. Training grants. 
Sec. 107. Children’s mental health. 
Sec. 108. Crisis response grants to address children’s needs. 
TITLE II—MEDICARE COVERAGE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY 
THERAPIST SERVICES 
Sec. 201. Coverage of marriage and family therapist services under Medicare 
part B. 
Sec. 202. Coverage of marriage and family therapist services provided in cer-
tain settings. 
Sec. 203. Authorization of marriage and family therapists to develop discharge 
plans for post-hospital services. 
Sec. 204. Effective date. 
TITLE III—JUDICIAL SYSTEM INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE MENTAL 
HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES 
Sec. 301. Training of justice system personnel. 
Sec. 302. Block grant funding for treatment and diversion programs. 
Sec. 303. Federal coordinating council on the criminalization of juveniles with 
mental disorders. 
Sec. 304. Mental health screening and treatment for prisoners. 
TITLE I—PUBLIC HEALTH INI-
TIATIVES TO IMPROVE MEN-
TAL 
HEALTH 
AND 
SUB-
STANCE ABUSE SERVICES 
SEC. 101. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, ADO-
LESCENTS, AND THEIR FAMILIES. 
Title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
290aa et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 520A 
the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 520B. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, 
ADOLESCENTS, AND THEIR FAMILIES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In cooperation with the Sec-
retary of Education, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services shall support either directly or through grants, 
contracts, or cooperative agreements with public entities 
programs to promote mental health among all children, 
from birth through adolescence, and their families and to 
provide early intervention services to ameliorate identified 
mental health problems in children and adolescents. 
‘‘(b) EQUITABLE
DISTRIBUTION.—The Secretary 
shall provide for an equitable distribution of grants, con-
tracts, and cooperative agreements by region, to include 
urban, suburban, and rural regions, including Native 
American communities. 
‘‘(c) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants, contracts, and 
cooperative agreements under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to those applicants who— 
‘‘(1) provide a comprehensive, community- 
based, culturally competent and developmentally ap-
propriate prevention and early intervention program 
that provides for the identification of early mental 
health problems and promotes the mental health and 
enhances the resiliency of children from birth 
through adolescence and of their families; 
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‘‘(2) incorporate families, schools, and commu-
nities in an integral role in the program; 
‘‘(3) coordinate behavioral health care services, 
interventions, and supports in traditional and non- 
traditional settings and provide a continuum of care 
for children from birth through adolescence and for 
their families; 
‘‘(4) provide public health education to improve 
the public’s understanding of healthy emotional de-
velopment; 
‘‘(5) provide training, technical assistance, con-
sultation, and support for community service pro-
viders, school personnel, families, and children to 
promote healthy emotional development and enhance 
resiliency in children from birth through adolescence; 
‘‘(6) increase the resources available to such 
programs and provide for their sustainability by re-
quiring a commitment on the part of local commu-
nities in which the programs provide services; 
‘‘(7) provide for the evaluation of programs op-
erating under this section to ensure that they are 
providing intended services in an efficient and effec-
tive manner; and 
‘‘(8) provide school-based mental health assess-
ment and treatment services conducted by a mental 
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health professional (who may be a school counselor, 
school nurse, school psychologist, clinical psycholo-
gist, or school social worker) in public elementary or 
secondary schools. 
‘‘(d) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—A condition for an 
award under subsection (a) is that the entity involved 
agree that the entity will, with respect to the costs to be 
incurred by the entity in carrying out the purpose de-
scribed in such subsection, make available (directly or 
through donations from public or private entities) non- 
Federal contributions toward such costs in an amount that 
is not less than $1 for each $3 of Federal funds provided 
in the award. 
‘‘(e) DURATIONS OF GRANTS.—With respect to an 
award under subsection (a), the period during which pay-
ments under such award are made to the recipient may 
not exceed 5 years. 
‘‘(f) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall ensure that 
entities receiving awards under subsection (a) carry out 
an evaluation of the project, including an evaluation of the 
effectiveness of program strategies, and short, inter-
mediate, and long-term outcomes including the program’s 
overall impact on strengthening families with young chil-
dren and creating environments in home, school, and com-
munity settings that promote healthy emotional develop-
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