Coronavirus Mental Health and Addiction Assistance Act of 2021
Bill: S.135 | Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy (D-MN)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Coronavirus Mental Health and Addiction Assistance Act of 2021
This bill requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to award grants to establish a network of entities that provide mental health and substance use disorder programs during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. Eligible entities include tribal nations, nonprofit organizations, service providers, and partnerships of two or more eligible entities.

To establish the Coronavirus Mental Health and Addiction Assistance 
                    Network, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Coronavirus Mental Health and 
Addiction Assistance Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. CORONAVIRUS MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION ASSISTANCE NETWORK.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary''), acting through the 
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall make 
competitive grants to eligible entities described in subsection (c) to 
establish a Coronavirus Mental Health and Addiction Assistance Network 
that provides programs for assisting individuals in managing mental 
health and substance use disorders during or in connection to the 
COVID-19 pandemic.
    (b) Eligible Programs.--Grants awarded under subsection (a) may be 
used--
            (1) to initiate, expand, or sustain programs that provide 
        professional mental health and substance use disorder 
        counseling and referral for other forms of assistance as 
        necessary to assist in the management of mental health and 
        substance use disorders during or in connection to the COVID-19 
        pandemic, through--
                    (A) telephone helplines and websites;
                    (B) training, including training programs and 
                workshops;
                    (C) support groups;
                    (D) outreach and support activities, including the 
                dissemination of information, materials, and equipment 
                to clients for remote access to mental health and 
                substance use disorder services; and
                    (E) telehealth services; or
            (2) to enter into contracts, on a multiyear basis, with 
        community-based, direct-service organizations to initiate, 
        expand, or sustain programs described in paragraph (1) and 
        subsection (a).
    (c) Eligible Entities.--The Secretary may award a grant under this 
section to an entity that provides evidence-based services and is--
            (1) an Indian tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian 
        Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
        5304)) or an urban Indian organization (as defined in section 4 
        of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603));
            (2) a qualified nonprofit organization, as determined by 
        the Secretary;
            (3) an entity providing appropriate services, as determined 
        by the Secretary, in 1 or more States; or
            (4) a partnership carried out by 2 or more entities 
        described in any of paragraphs (1) through (3).
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000, for the fiscal 
year ending September 30, 2021, to remain available until expended, or 
until the date that is 1 year after the conclusion of the public health 
emergency declared by the Secretary under section 319 of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) on January 31, 2020, with respect 
to COVID-19, whichever is earlier.
    (e) Report to Congress, Agencies, and Public.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the amount 
        appropriated under subsection (d) is no longer available, the 
        Secretary shall submit to Congress and any other relevant 
        Federal department or agency, and make publicly available, a 
        report describing the success of the Coronavirus Mental Health 
        and Addiction Assistance Network under this section in 
        assisting in managing mental health and substance use disorders 
        during or in connection to the COVID-19 pandemic.
            (2) Contents.--The report under paragraph (1) shall 
        include--
                    (A) an inventory and assessment of efforts, to 
                support individuals seeking to manage mental health and 
                substance use disorders during or in connection to the 
                COVID-19 pandemic, by--
                            (i) the Federal Government, States, and 
                        units of local government;
                            (ii) communities comprised of individuals 
                        seeking to manage mental health and substance 
                        use disorders during or in connection to the 
                        COVID-19 pandemic;
                            (iii) health care providers; and
                            (iv) other appropriate entities, as 
                        determined by the Secretary;
                    (B) a description of the challenges faced by 
                individuals seeking to manage mental health and 
                substance use disorders during or in connection to the 
                COVID-19 pandemic;
                    (C) a description of how the Secretary can improve 
                coordination and cooperation with other Federal health 
                departments and agencies, including other subagencies 
                of the Department of Health and Human Services such as 
                the Health Resources and Services Administration, the 
                Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the 
                National Institutes of Health, to best address the 
                mental health and substance use disorders of 
                individuals who are seeking to manage mental health and 
                substance use disorders during or in connection to the 
                COVID-19 pandemic; and
                    (D) an evaluation of the impact that mental health 
                and substance use disorder challenges and health 
                outcomes (including suicide) experienced during or in 
                connection to the COVID-19 pandemic have on--
                            (i) the health care workforce and 
                        occupations related to pandemic preparedness 
                        and response;
                            (ii) workforce readiness in new occupations 
                        for employees whose jobs became obsolete; and
                            (iii) community resilience.
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