Title: Emergency Support for Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Services Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Emergency Support for Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Services Act
This bill requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to provide technical assistance to certain organizations to expand access to and awareness of mental health and substance use prevention and treatment services during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4093 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4093

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment 
or operation of a center to be known as the Emergency Mental Health and 
        Substance Use Training and Technical Assistance Center.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 29, 2020

   Ms. Smith introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment 
or operation of a center to be known as the Emergency Mental Health and 
        Substance Use Training and Technical Assistance Center.

    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 ``Emergency Support for Substance Use 
Disorder and Mental Health Services Act''.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE TRAINING AND 
              TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER.

    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 following:

``SEC. 520B. EMERGENCY MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE TRAINING AND 
              TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER.

    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the Assistant 
Secretary, shall establish or operate a center to be known as the 
Emergency Mental Health and Substance Use Training and Technical 
Assistance Center (referred to in this section as the `Center') to 
provide technical assistance and support--
            ``(1) to public or nonprofit entities seeking to establish 
        or expand access to mental health and substance use prevention, 
        treatment, and recovery support services, and increase 
        awareness of such services; and
            ``(2) to public health professionals, health care 
        professionals and support staff, essential workers (as defined 
        by a State, Tribe, locality, or territory), and members of the 
        public to address the trauma, stress, and mental health needs 
        associated with an emergency period.
    ``(b) Assistance and Support.--The assistance and support provided 
under subsection (a) shall include assistance and support with respect 
to--
            ``(1) training on identifying signs of trauma, stress, and 
        mental health needs;
            ``(2) providing accessible resources to assist individuals 
        and families experiencing trauma, stress, or other mental 
        health needs during and after an emergency period;
            ``(3) providing resources for substance use disorder 
        prevention, treatment, and recovery designed to assist 
        individuals and families during and after an emergency period;
            ``(4) the provision of language access services, including 
        translation services, interpretation, or other such services 
        for individuals with limited English speaking proficiency or 
        individuals with disabilities; and
            ``(5) evaluation and improvement, as necessary, of the 
        effectiveness of such services provided by public or nonprofit 
        entities.
    ``(c) Best Practices.--The Center shall periodically issue best 
practices for use by organizations seeking to provide mental health 
services or substance use disorder prevention, treatment, or recovery 
services.
    ``(d) Emergency Period.--In this section, the term `emergency 
period' has the meaning given such term in section 1135(g)(1)(A) of the 
Social Security Act.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2020 and 2021.''.
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