Bill Summary
This legislation, titled the "Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act", aims to address mental health issues among youth, particularly youth of color. It includes provisions for creating an integrated health care demonstration program, conducting research on mental health disparities in minority groups, developing health professions competencies to address these disparities, and implementing an outreach and education strategy to reduce stigma and increase awareness about mental health. The Act also provides additional funding for the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. It also includes a reauthorization of the Minority Fellowship Program and a study on the effects of smartphone and social media use on adolescents. This legislation was passed by the House of Representatives on September 29, 2020.
Possible Impacts
1. The "Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act" could provide more funding for mental health care in communities with a high population of youth of color. This could potentially increase access to mental health services for these individuals and improve their overall well-being.
2. The Act could lead to the development of culturally and linguistically appropriate interventions and treatments for mental health disorders. This could have a positive impact on individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups who may have previously faced barriers to receiving effective treatment.
3. The Act could also promote greater awareness and understanding of mental health issues among racial and ethnic minority groups, and reduce the stigma associated with seeking treatment for mental health disorders. This could improve the overall mental health of these communities and reduce disparities in access to care.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5469 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5469
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 30 (legislative day, September 29), 2020
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To address mental health issues for youth, particularly youth of color,
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 ``Pursuing Equity in Mental Health
Act''.
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
TITLE I--HEALTH EQUITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Sec. 101. Integrated Health Care Demonstration Program.
Sec. 102. Addressing racial and ethnic minority mental health
disparities research gaps.
Sec. 103. Health professions competencies to address racial and ethnic
minority mental health disparities.
Sec. 104. Racial and ethnic minority behavioral and mental health
outreach and education strategy.
Sec. 105. Additional funds for National Institutes of Health.
Sec. 106. Additional funds for National Institute on Minority Health
and Health Disparities.
TITLE II--OTHER PROVISIONS
Sec. 201. Reauthorization of Minority Fellowship Program.
Sec. 202. Study on the Effects of Smartphone and Social Media Use on
Adolescents.
Sec. 203. Technical correction.
TITLE I--HEALTH EQUITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
SEC. 101. INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.
Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290dd
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 554. INTERPROFESSIONAL HEALTH CARE TEAMS FOR PROVISION OF
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE IN PRIMARY CARE SETTINGS.
``(a) Grants.--The Secretary shall award grants to eligible
entities for the purpose of establishing interprofessional health care
teams that provide behavioral health care.
``(b) Eligible Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, an entity shall be a Federally qualified health center
(as defined in section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act), rural
health clinic, or behavioral health program, serving a high proportion
of individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups (as defined in
section 1707(g)).
``(c) Scientifically Based.--Integrated health care funded through
this section shall be scientifically based, taking into consideration
the results of the most recent peer-reviewed research available.
``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of the
first 5 fiscal years following the date of enactment of the Pursuing
Equity in Mental Health Act.''.
SEC. 102. ADDRESSING RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH
DISPARITIES RESEARCH GAPS.
Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall enter into
an arrangement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,
and Medicine (or, if the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,
and Medicine decline to enter into such an arrangement, the Patient-
Centered Outcomes Research Institute, the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality, or another appropriate entity)--
(1) to conduct a study with respect to mental health
disparities in racial and ethnic minority groups (as defined in
section 1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
300u-6(g))); and
(2) to submit to the Congress a report on the results of
such study, including--
(A) a compilation of information on the dynamics of
mental disorders in such racial and ethnic minority
groups; and
(B) a compilation of information on the impact of
exposure to community violence, adverse childhood
experiences, structural racism, and other psychological
traumas on mental disorders in such racial and minority
groups.
SEC. 103. HEALTH PROFESSIONS COMPETENCIES TO ADDRESS RACIAL AND ETHNIC
MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall
award grants to qualified national organizations for the purposes of--
(1) developing, and disseminating to health professional
educational programs best practices or core competencies
addressing mental health disparities among racial and ethnic
minority groups for use in the training of students in the
professions of social work, psychology, psychiatry, marriage
and family therapy, mental health counseling, and substance
misuse counseling; and
(2) certifying community health workers and peer wellness
specialists with respect to such best practices and core
competencies and integrating and expanding the use of such
workers and specialists into health care to address mental
health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups.
(b) Best Practices; Core Competencies.--Organizations receiving
funds under subsection (a) may use the funds to engage in the following
activities related to the development and dissemination of best
practices or core competencies described in subsection (a)(1):
(1) Formation of committees or working groups comprised of
experts from accredited health professions schools to identify
best practices and core competencies relating to mental health
disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups.
(2) Planning of workshops in national fora to allow for
public input into the educational needs associated with mental
health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups.
(3) Dissemination and promotion of the use of best
practices or core competencies in undergraduate and graduate
health professions training programs nationwide.
(4) Establishing external stakeholder advisory boards to
provide meaningful input into policy and program development
and best practices to reduce mental health disparities among
racial and ethnic minority groups.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Qualified national organization.--The term ``qualified
national organization'' means a national organization that
focuses on the education of students in one or more of the
professions of social work, psychology, psychiatry, marriage
and family therapy, mental health counseling, and substance
misuse counseling.
(2) Racial and ethnic minority group.--The term ``racial
and ethnic minority group'' has the meaning given to such term
in section 1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
300u-6(g)).
SEC. 104. RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
OUTREACH AND EDUCATION STRATEGY.
Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290dd
et seq.), as amended by section 101, is further amended by adding at
the end the following new section:
``SEC. 555. BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH AND 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 behavioral and mental health and reduce
stigma associated with mental health conditions and substance abuse
among racial and ethnic minority groups. Such strategy shall--
``(1) be designed to--
``(A) meet the diverse cultural and language needs
of the various racial and ethnic minority groups; and
``(B) be developmentally and age-appropriate;
``(2) increase awareness of symptoms of mental illnesses
common among such groups, taking into account differences
within at-risk subgroups;
``(3) provide information on evidence-based, culturally and
linguistically appropriate and adapted interventions and
treatments;
``(4) ensure full participation of, and engage, both
consumers and community members in the development and
implementation of materials; and
``(5) seek to broaden the perspective among both
individuals in these groups and stakeholders serving these
groups to use a comprehensive public health approach to
promoting behavioral health that addresses a holistic view of
health by focusing on the intersection between behavioral and
physical health.
``(b) Reports.--Beginning not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this section and annually thereafter, the Secretary
shall submit to Congress, and make publicly available, a report on the
extent to which the strategy developed and implemented under subsection
(a) increased behavioral and mental health outcomes associated with
mental health conditions and substance abuse among racial and ethnic
minority groups.
``(c) Definition.--In this section, the term `racial and ethnic
minority group' has the meaning given to that term in section 1707(g).
``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2021 through 2025.''.
SEC. 105. ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.
(a) In General.--In addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be
appropriated to the National Institutes of Health, there is authorized
to be appropriated to such Institutes $100,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2021 through 2025 to build relations with communities and conduct
or support clinical research, including clinical research on racial or
ethnic disparities in physical and mental health.
(b) Definition.--In this section, the term ``clinical research''
has the meaning given to such term in section 409 of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 284d).
SEC. 106. ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON MINORITY HEALTH
AND HEALTH DISPARITIES.
In addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated to
the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, there
is authorized to be appropriated to such Institute $650,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.
TITLE II--OTHER PROVISIONS
SEC. 201. REAUTHORIZATION OF MINORITY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.
Section 597(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
297ll(c)) is amended by striking ``$12,669,000 for each of fiscal years
2018 through 2022'' and inserting ``$25,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2021 through 2025''.
SEC. 202. STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF SMARTPHONE AND SOCIAL MEDIA USE ON
ADOLESCENTS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall conduct
or support research on--
(1) smartphone and social media use by adolescents; and
(2) the effects of such use on--
(A) emotional, behavioral, and physical health and
development; and
(B) disparities in minority and underserved
populations.
(b) Report.--Not later than 5 years after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress, and make
publicly available, a report on the findings of research described in
this section.
SEC. 203. TECHNICAL CORRECTION.
Title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa et seq.)
is amended--
(1) by redesignating the second section 550 (42 U.S.C.
290ee-10) (relating to Sobriety Treatment And Recovery Teams)
as section 553; and
(2) by moving such section, as so redesignated, so as to
appear after section 552 (42 U.S.C. 290ee-7).
Passed the House of Representatives September 29, 2020.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.