Title: To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, to conduct or support research on the mental health consequences of SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This bill requires the National Institute of Mental Health, in coordination with certain other research institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health, to support mental health research activities related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6645 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6645

 To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, to conduct or 
  support research on the mental health consequences of SARS-CoV-2 or 
                   COVID-19, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 28, 2020

  Mr. Tonko introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, to conduct or 
  support research on the mental health consequences of SARS-CoV-2 or 
                   COVID-19, 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. RESEARCH ON THE MENTAL HEALTH IMPACT OF COVID-19.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in 
this section referred to as the ``Secretary''), acting through the 
Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, shall conduct or 
support research on the mental health consequences of SARS-CoV-2 or 
COVID-19.
    (b) Use of Funds.--Research under subsection (a) may include--
            (1) research on the mental health impact of SARS-CoV-2 or 
        COVID-19 on health care providers, including--
                    (A) traumatic stress;
                    (B) psychological distress; and
                    (C) psychiatric disorders; and
            (2) research on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 
        stressors on mental health over time;
            (3) research to strengthen the mental health response to 
        SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19, including adapting to and maintaining 
        or providing additional services for new or increasing mental 
        health needs;
            (4) research on the reach, efficiency, effectiveness, and 
        quality of digital mental health interventions;
            (5) research on the effectiveness of strategies for 
        implementation and delivery of evidence-based mental health 
        interventions and services for underserved populations; and
            (6) research on suicide prevention.
    (c) Research Coordination.--The Secretary shall coordinate 
activities under this section with similar activities conducted by 
national research institutes and centers of the National Institutes of 
Health to the extent that such institutes and centers have 
responsibilities that are related to the mental health consequences of 
SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there is authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2021 through 2025, to remain available until expended.
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