Preventing Mental Health and Substance Use Crises During Emergencies Act
Bill: H.R.434 | Sponsor: Rep. Trone, David J. (D-MD)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Preventing Mental Health and Substance Use Crises During Emergencies Act
This bill establishes a task force and requires a strategy to address mental health and substance use issues during public health emergencies.
The Department of Health and Human Services must convene the task force to assess the federal response to such issues during and after the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency.
In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must develop and annually update the strategy. The task force's work must inform the strategy.

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to convene a task 
force to advise the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance 
 Use on a national strategy for preventing mental health and substance 
  use crises during a public health emergency, 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 ``Preventing Mental Health and 
Substance Use Crises During Emergencies Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The United States invests annually in the public mental 
        health of Americans.
            (2) Congress appropriated $5.87 billion in fiscal year 2021 
        to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
        Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services.
            (3) Funds are also appropriated to address mental health 
        and substance use in targeted populations through the 
        Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of the Interior, 
        and the National Institute for Mental Health.
            (4) On January 31, 2020, the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services declared a public health emergency due to the spread 
        of COVID-19, and extended such declaration, more recently, on 
        January 7, 2021.
            (5) In August 2020, Congress provided an additional $725 
        million in supplemental funding to augment mental health and 
        substance use services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
            (6) Such supplemental funding included $425 million to the 
        Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, of 
        which--
                    (A) $110 million was allocated for emergency grants 
                for behavioral health services;
                    (B) $250 million was allocated for the Certified 
                Community Behavioral Health Centers program; and
                    (C) $50 million was allocated for suicide 
                prevention.
            (7) In December 2020, Congress provided an additional $4.25 
        billion in supplemental funding to the Substance Abuse and 
        Mental Health Services Administration to provide increased 
        mental health and substance use services and support.
            (8) The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated concerns about 
        the mental health and well-being of Americans.
            (9) A third of Americans are feeling severe anxiety, 
        according to Census Bureau data, and nearly a quarter show 
        signs of depression.
            (10) A recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found 
        that the pandemic had negatively affected the mental health of 
        56 percent of adults.
            (11) In April 2020, texts to a Federal emergency mental-
        health line were up 1,000 percent from the year before.
            (12) The situation is particularly dire for certain 
        vulnerable groups that face a significant risk of post-
        traumatic stress disorder, including--
                    (A) health care workers;
                    (B) COVID-19 patients with severe cases; and
                    (C) individuals who have lost loved ones.
            (13) In overburdened intensive-care units, delirious 
        patients are seeing chilling hallucinations.
            (14) At least two overwhelmed emergency medical workers 
        have died by suicide since the beginning of the COVID-19 
        pandemic.
            (15) The public mental health crisis will continue after 
        the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
    (b) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States to 
protect the health and safety of all Americans during public health 
emergencies and to proactively lead public health efforts to advance 
the mental health of the Nation.

SEC. 3. TASK FORCE TO PREVENT MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE CRISES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in 
this section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall convene a task 
force known as the Task Force to Prevent Mental Health and Substance 
Use Crises (in this section referred to as the ``Task Force'') to--
            (1) assess the response of the Federal Government with 
        respect to mental health and substance use during and after the 
        spread of COVID-19; and
            (2) advise the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and 
        Substance Use on a national strategy for preventing mental 
        health and substance use crises during a public health 
        emergency.
    (b) Assessment.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Task Force 
shall assess--
            (1) the efficacy, outcomes, and cost of each Federal 
        initiative taken during the spread of COVID-19 to support 
        mental health and address substance use, including an 
        identification of--
                    (A) any initiative that was not successful; and
                    (B) best practices and strategies;
            (2) the ability of Federal agencies to coordinate mental 
        health programs and services and allocate resources to respond 
        to a public health emergency;
            (3) the ability of Federal agencies to use technology 
        developed through the Small Business Innovation Research 
        Program established under section 9 of the Small Business Act 
        (15 U.S.C. 638) to respond to a public health emergency;
            (4) the ability of Federal, State, and local agencies to 
        coordinate with other government agencies, nonprofit 
        organizations, and entities in the private sector during a 
        public health emergency;
            (5) any needed improvements to coordination described in 
        paragraphs (1) and (2);
            (6) a review of research programs of the Federal agencies 
        listed in subsection (c)(3) with respect to mental health and 
        substance use during a public health emergency; and
            (7) a review of the amount of funds used by such Federal 
        agencies to support mental health and address substance use 
        during a public health emergency.
    (c) Membership.--
            (1) Chair.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the 
        enactment of this section, the Secretary shall appoint an 
        individual to serve as the Chair of the Task Force.
            (2) Composition.--The Task Force shall be composed of--
                    (A) representatives of Federal agencies, including 
                the agencies listed in paragraph (3);
                    (B) representatives of nongovernmental 
                organizations;
                    (C) patient advocates; and
                    (D) State and local public health experts who 
                specialize in mental health and substance use.
            (3) Federal agencies.--The agencies represented under 
        paragraph (2)(A) shall, at a minimum, include the following:
                    (A) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
                    (B) The National Institute of Mental Health.
                    (C) The National Institutes of Health.
                    (D) The National Institute on Drug Abuse.
                    (E) The Food and Drug Administration.
                    (F) The Health Resources and Services 
                Administration.
                    (G) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
                Administration.
                    (H) The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
                    (I) The Administration for Children and Families.
                    (J) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
                    (K) The Department of the Interior.
                    (L) The Department of Veterans Affairs.
                    (M) The Department of Education.
                    (N) The Department of Defense.
                    (O) The Department of Justice.
                    (P) The Department of Housing and Urban 
                Development.
                    (Q) The Administration for Community Living.
                    (R) The Indian Health Service.
                    (S) The Department of Labor.
    (d) Meetings.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall convene a meeting of the 
Task Force and shall convene subsequent meetings on a periodic basis.
    (e) Submissions to Congress.--
            (1) Progress report.--Not later than one year after the 
        date of the enactment of this section, the Task Force shall 
        submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on 
        the progress of the Task Force in carrying out subsection (a).
            (2) Final report.--Not later than two years after the date 
        of the enactment of this section, the Task Force shall submit, 
        and update on an annual basis, to the appropriate congressional 
        committees a report on the activities of the Task Force in 
        carrying out subsection (a), including--
                    (A) the results of the assessment under subsection 
                (b); and
                    (B) any findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
    (f) Disposition of Records.--Upon dissolution of the Task Force, 
the records of the Task Force shall become records of the Assistant 
Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use.
    (g) Public Health Emergency Defined.--In this section, the term 
``public health emergency'' means a public health emergency declared 
pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
247d).

SEC. 4. NATIONAL STRATEGY ON MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DURING A 
              PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.

    Section 501 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (q) as subsection (r); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (p) the following:
    ``(q) National Strategy During Public Health Emergencies.--Not 
later than 30 months after the date of the enactment of this 
subsection, and annually thereafter, the Assistant Secretary shall 
prepare and submit a national strategy to the appropriate congressional 
committees on preventing mental health and substance use crises during 
a public health emergency. Such strategy shall be based on the reports 
submitted to Congress by the Task Force to Prevent Mental Health and 
Substance Use Crises and include--
            ``(1) advancements in research with respect to mental 
        health and substance use during a public health emergency; and
            ``(2) a plan to increase the ability of Federal agencies to 
        coordinate mental health programs and services and allocate 
        resources to respond to a public health emergency.''.
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