I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7537 
To amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary 
for Mental Health and Substance Use, to establish a program under 
which the Secretary will award grants to eligible entities to provide 
community-based mental health services in communities in which an 
active shooter event or incident of targeted violence occurred, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 18, 2022 
Mrs. MCBATH (for herself, Mr. NEGUSE, Ms. ESCOBAR, Mr. CARSON, Mr. 
CICILLINE, Mr. DEUTCH, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. HORSFORD, and Ms. WIL-
LIAMS of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to direct 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and 
Substance Use, to establish a program under which the 
Secretary will award grants to eligible entities to provide 
community-based mental health services in communities 
in which an active shooter event or incident of targeted 
violence occurred, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Help for Healing Com-
munities Act’’. 
SEC. 2. COMMUNITY-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 
FOR GUN VIOLENCE SURVIVORS. 
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 520A (42 U.S.C. 290bb–32) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 520A–1. COMMUNITY-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SERV-
ICES FOR GUN VIOLENCE SURVIVORS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Assistant Secretary (referred to in this section as the 
‘Secretary’), shall establish a program under which the 
Secretary may award grants to eligible entities, to provide 
a means for communities in which an active shooter event 
or incident of targeted violence occurs— 
‘‘(1) to prioritize mental and behavioral health 
of survivors of active shooter events and incidents of 
targeted violence through establishing evidence- 
based, violence prevention, and community engage-
ment programs to support survivors of such an event 
or incident; and 
‘‘(2) to ensure equitable access to high-quality 
trauma-informed behavioral health services through 
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the use of evidence-based materials, practices, pro-
grams and resources. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—An entity is eligible to re-
ceive a grant under this section if such entity is— 
‘‘(1)(A) a State, political subdivision of a State, 
an Indian Tribe, or Tribal organization (as such 
terms are defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-De-
termination and Education Assistance Act); 
‘‘(B) a health facility, or a program operated 
by, or in accordance with, a contract or grant with 
the Indian Health Service; or 
‘‘(C) another public or private nonprofit entity; 
and 
‘‘(2) located in or serves a community in which 
an active shooter event or incident of targeted vio-
lence has occurred in the preceding fiscal year. 
‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
a grant under this section may use funds received under 
such grant to— 
‘‘(1) provide racially, culturally, linguistically, 
and gender-appropriate, evidence-based, and trauma- 
informed and trauma-competent psychological sup-
ports to individuals who have survived an active 
shooter event or incident of targeted violence; 
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