Title: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Support During COVID–19 Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Support During COVID-19 Act
This bill requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to award grants to states and territories for outreach, treatment, and other activities to address increased mental health and substance abuse issues associated with the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.


[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7893 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7893

 To amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to provide for the 
establishment of a COVID-19 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Response 
                 Grant Program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 31, 2020

  Mr. Steil 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 provide for the 
establishment of a COVID-19 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Response 
                 Grant Program, 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 ``Mental Health and Substance Abuse 
Support During COVID-19 Act''.

SEC. 2. COVID-19 MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE RESPONSE GRANT 
              PROGRAM.

    Subpart 3 of part B of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 290bb-31) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 520N. COVID-19 MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE RESPONSE GRANT 
              PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall, in coordination with the 
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, establish and 
carry out a program to award grants to States (as defined in section 
524) to assist States in addressing the increased costs to States due 
to an increase in mental health challenges and substance abuse in such 
States as a result of, or co-occurring with, the COVID-19 pandemic, to 
be known as the `COVID-19 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Response 
Grant Program' (referred to in this section as the `Program').
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--A State may use funds received through the 
grant to support one or more of the following activities, which may be 
conducted in coordination or partnership with local governments or 
community organizations:
            ``(1) Enhanced public education to improve community 
        awareness, with respect to mental health or substance abuse, 
        including for children and youth.
            ``(2) Identification of, and outreach to, individuals at 
        risk of experiencing a mental health and substance abuse 
        challenge, and referral of such individuals to appropriate 
        treatment, recover, or other resources in the community.
            ``(3) Direct services to adults and children to prevent or 
        treat a mental health or substance abuse problem.
            ``(4) Community and peer support programs, including 
        programs for veterans and underserved communities.
            ``(5) Development of partnerships with entities such as 
        local healthcare providers, substance abuse treatment 
        organizations, schools, child welfare agencies, social services 
        organizations, mental health treatment organizations, police 
        departments, businesses, religious institutions, in order to 
        coordinate and expand resources available to addicted or at-
        risk individuals and their family members.
            ``(6) Mental health and substance abuse training for 
        relevant healthcare workforce and community members.
            ``(7) Upgrading technology to support mental health and 
        substance abuse services through telehealth.
            ``(8) Follow-up services and outpatient support.
            ``(9) Support programs for front line COVID-19 health care 
        workers.
            ``(10) 24/7 crisis call centers.
            ``(11) Grants to local governmental entities within such 
        State to offset the costs referred to in subsection (a).
    ``(c) Regulations.--The Secretary shall, not later than 30 days 
after the date of enactment of this section, issue a rule to establish, 
carry out, and administer the Program.
    ``(d) Funding.--
            ``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 2020 through 2022.
            ``(2) Allocation.--Of the amounts made available under 
        paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, each State shall be allocated 
        an amount based on the percentage constituted by the ratio of 
        an amount equal to the population of the State over an amount 
        equal to the total population of the States, as indicated by 
        the data collected by the Bureau of the Census for 2010.''.
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