[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7159 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7159
To amend the Community Mental Health Service Block Grant to authorize a
set-aside for crisis care services, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 11, 2020
Mrs. Bustos (for herself and Ms. Wild) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Community Mental Health Service Block Grant to authorize a
set-aside for crisis care services, 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 ``Crisis Care Improvement and Suicide
Prevention Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Fragmentation of mental health services and limited
access to crisis services complicates and elongates mental
health patient stays in emergency departments and under the
custody of law enforcement.
(2) Emergency departments and the criminal justice system
do not have the capacity with existing resources and health
care professional shortages to address the needs of the rapidly
growing number of individuals with mental health conditions,
increasing the risk of adverse patient outcomes.
(3) In 2017, 150,000 individuals in the United States died
from alcohol and drug-induced fatalities and suicides. Nearly
\1/3\, or more than 47,000 were suicides.
(4) From 2016 to 2018, more than \1/4\ of hospital
emergency department ``frequent users'' in Illinois were
patients with presenting or underlying mental health
conditions, underscoring the need for additional funding,
continued access to real-time care and connection to long-term
treatment options.
(5) Fifteen percent of men and 30 percent of women in
custody of county jails have severe mental illnesses.
(6) Use of appropriate crisis facilities and interventions
in Maricopa County, Arizona, have saved emergency departments
an estimated $37,000,000 in 2016 and saved the equivalent of 37
police officer full-time equivalent salaries.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) for patients with mental health issues, coordination of
physical and mental health services and cooperation with law
enforcement are essential to ensure timely, appropriate care;
and
(2) crisis care networks established at State and local
levels have saved resources and shown improved outcomes for
patients in crisis.
SEC. 3. EVIDENCE-BASED CRISIS CARE PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--Section 1912(b)(1) of the Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 300x-1(b)(1))--
(1) in subparagraph (A)--
(A) by redesignating clauses (vi) and (vii) as
clauses (vii) and (viii), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after clause (v), the following:
``(vi) include a description of how the
State supports evidenced-based programs that
address the crisis care needs of individuals
with serious mental disorders, and children
with serious mental and emotional disturbances,
that include at least one of the core
components specified in subparagraph (F);'';
and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(F) Core components for crisis care services.--
The core components of a program referred to in
subparagraph (A)(vi) include the following:
``(i) Crisis call centers.
``(ii) 24/7 mobile crisis services.
``(iii) Crisis stabilization programs
offering acute care or sub-acute care in a
hospital or appropriately licensed facility,
with referrals to inpatient or outpatient care,
as determined by the Assistant Secretary for
Mental Health and Substance Use.''.
(b) Set-Aside for Evidence-Based Crisis Care Services.--Section
1920 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x-9) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(d) Crisis Care.--
``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (3), a
State shall expend at least 5 percent of the allotment of the
State pursuant to a funding agreement under section 1911 for
each fiscal year to support programs described in section
1912(b)(1)(A)(vi).
``(2) State flexibility.--In lieu of expending 5 percent of
the State's allotment for a fiscal year as required by
paragraph (1), a State may elect to expend not less than 10
percent of such amount by the end of two consecutive fiscal
years.
``(3) Funding contingency.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply
with respect to a fiscal year unless the amount made available
to carry out this section for that fiscal year exceeds the
amount appropriated to carry out this section for fiscal year
2020 by at least $35,000,000.''.
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