Title: Investing in Community Healing Act of 2020
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Investing in Community Healing Act of 2020
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to research adverse health impacts associated with violent interactions with law enforcement and carry out activities to promote access to, and awareness of, trauma support services and mental and behavioral health care among racial and ethnic minority groups.
Specifically, HHS must (1) award grants to community-based programs or organizations to increase access to appropriate services and care, and (2) conduct an educational campaign to raise awareness of mental and behavioral health issues and reduce stigma associated with such conditions.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8140 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8140

To address the psychological, social, and emotional needs of racial and 
ethnic minorities who experience trauma associated with law enforcement 
                   violence, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 1, 2020

 Ms. Blunt Rochester introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To address the psychological, social, and emotional needs of racial and 
ethnic minorities who experience trauma associated with law enforcement 
                   violence, 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 ``Investing in Community Healing Act 
of 2020''.

SEC. 2. RESEARCH, GRANTS, AND EDUCATION STRATEGY.

    (a) In General.--Title V of the Public Health Service Act is 
amended by inserting after section 565 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 290ff-4) 
the following:

                ``PART F--INVESTING IN COMMUNITY HEALING

``SEC. 571. RESEARCH ON ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH 
              INTERACTIONS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct research on the 
adverse health effects with respect to mental health conditions and 
substance use disorders associated with violent interactions with law 
enforcement.
    ``(b) Effects Among Racial and Ethnic Minorities.--The research 
under subsection (a) shall include research on--
            ``(1) the health consequences, both individual and 
        community-wide, of trauma related to violence committed by law 
        enforcement among racial and ethnic minorities;
            ``(2) the rates of mental health conditions and substance 
        use disorders related to direct or indirect exposure to 
        violence committed by law enforcement among racial and ethnic 
        minorities; and
            ``(3) the disproportionate burden of morbidity and 
        mortality associated with such violence.
    ``(c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this part, the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) complete the research under this section; and
            ``(2) submit to the Congress a report on the findings, 
        conclusions, and recommendations resulting from such research.

``SEC. 572. GRANTS FOR INCREASING RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY ACCESS TO 
              HIGH-QUALITY TRAUMA SUPPORT SERVICES AND MENTAL HEALTH 
              CARE.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award grants to eligible 
entities to establish or expand programs for the purpose of increasing 
racial and ethnic minority access to high-quality trauma support 
services, mental health care, and substance use disorder treatment.
    ``(b) Eligible Entities.--To seek a grant under this section, an 
entity shall be a community-based program or organization that--
            ``(1) provides culturally competent programs and resources 
        that are aligned with evidence-based practices for trauma-
        informed care; and
            ``(2) has demonstrated expertise in serving communities of 
        color or can partner with a program that has such demonstrated 
        expertise.
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--As a condition on receipt of a grant under 
this section, a grantee shall agree to use the grant to increase racial 
and ethnic minority access to high-quality trauma support services, 
mental health care, and substance use disorder treatment, such as by--
            ``(1) establishing and maintaining community-based programs 
        providing evidence-based services in trauma-informed care and 
        culturally specific services and other resources;
            ``(2) developing innovative culturally specific strategies 
        and projects to enhance access to trauma-informed care and 
        resources for racial and ethnic minorities who face obstacles 
        to using more traditional services and resources (such as 
        obstacles in geographic access to providers, lack of insurance 
        coverage, and access to audio and video technologies);
            ``(3) working with State and local governments and social 
        service agencies to develop and enhance effective strategies to 
        provide culturally specific services to racial and ethnic 
        minorities;
            ``(4) increasing communities' capacity to provide 
        culturally specific resources and support for communities of 
        color;
            ``(5) working in cooperation with the community to develop 
        education and prevention strategies highlighting culturally 
        specific issues and resources regarding racial and ethnic 
        minorities;
            ``(6) providing culturally specific programs for racial and 
        ethnic minorities exposed to law enforcement violence; and
            ``(7) examining the dynamics of culture and its impact on 
        victimization and healing.
    ``(d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities proposing to serve 
communities that have faced high rates of community trauma, including 
from exposure to law enforcement violence, intergenerational poverty, 
civil unrest, discrimination, or oppression.
    ``(e) Grant Period.--The period of a grant under this section shall 
be 4 years.
    ``(f) Evaluation.--Not later than 6 months after the end of the 
period of all grants under this section, the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) conduct an evaluation of the programs funded by a 
        grant under this section;
            ``(2) include in such evaluation an assessment of the 
        outcomes of each such program; and
            ``(3) submit a report on the results of such evaluation to 
        the Congress.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2021 through 2025.

``SEC. 573. BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH EDUCATION STRATEGY.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall, in consultation with 
advocacy and behavioral and mental health organizations serving racial 
and ethnic minority groups, develop and implement an outreach and 
education strategy to promote awareness of behavioral and mental 
health, and reduce stigma associated with behavioral and mental health 
conditions, among racial and ethnic minorities.
    ``(b) Design.--The strategy under this section shall be designed 
to--
            ``(1) meet the diverse cultural and language needs of 
        racial and ethnic minority groups;
            ``(2) provide information on evidence-based, culturally and 
        linguistically appropriate and adapted interventions and 
        treatments;
            ``(3) increase awareness of symptoms of mental illness 
        among racial and ethnic minority groups; and
            ``(4) ensure full participation of, and engage, both 
        consumers and community members in the development and 
        implementation of materials.
    ``(c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this part, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress, and make 
publicly available, a report detailing the outreach and education 
strategy that is developed and implemented under this section and the 
results of such implementation.''.
    (b) Technical Correction.--Title V of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 290aa et seq.) is amended by striking the designation and 
heading of part F relating to a model comprehensive program for 
treatment of substance abuse.
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