[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1729 Referred in House (RFH)]

  1st Session
                                S. 1729


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 12, 2001

            Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
   To provide assistance with respect to the mental health needs of 
  individuals affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

    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 ``Post Terrorism Mental Health 
Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. PLANNING AND TRAINING GRANTS.

    Section 520A of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-32) 
is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by inserting before the 
                semicolon the following: ``, including the training of 
                mental health professionals with respect to evidence-
                based practices in the treatment of individuals who are 
                victims of a disaster'';
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (C) in paragraph (4), by striking the period and 
                inserting a semicolon; and
                    (D) by inserting after paragraph (4), the 
                following:
            ``(5) the development of coordinated response plans for 
        responding to the mental health needs (including the response 
        efforts of private organizations) that arise from a disaster, 
        including the development and expansion of the 2-1-1 or other 
        universal hotline as appropriate; and
            ``(6) the establishment of a mental health disaster 
        response clearinghouse.'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (h); and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (e) the following:
    ``(f) State Comments.--With respect to a State or local public 
entity that submits an application for assistance under this section 
and that intends to use such assistance as provided for in subsection 
(a)(5), such entity shall provide notice of such application to the 
chief executive officer of the State, the State mental health 
department, and the State office responsible for emergency preparedness 
who shall consult with providers and organizations serving public 
safety officials and others involved in responding to the crisis, and 
provide such officer, department and office with the opportunity to 
comment on such application.
    ``(g) Definition.--For purposes of subsection (a)(2), the term 
`mental health professional' includes psychiatrists, psychologists, 
clinical psychiatric nurse specialists, mental health counselors, 
marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, pastoral 
counselors, school psychologists, licensed professional counselors, 
school guidance counselors, and any other individual practicing in a 
mental health profession that is licensed or regulated by a State 
agency.''.

SEC. 3. GRANTS TO DIRECTLY AFFECTED AREAS TO ADDRESS LONG-TERM NEEDS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall award grants 
to eligible State and local governments and other public entities to 
enable such entities to respond to the long-term mental health needs 
arising from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
    (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
subsection (a) an entity shall--
            (1) be a State or local government or other public entity 
        that is located in an area that is directly affected (as 
        determined by the Secretary) by the terrorist attacks of 
        September 11, 2001; and
            (2) prepare and submit to the Secretary an application at 
        such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
        the Secretary may require.
    (c) Use of Funds.--A grantee shall use amounts received under a 
grant under subsection (a)--
            (1) to carry out activities to locate individuals who may 
        be affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and 
        in need of mental health services;
            (2) to provide treatment for those individuals identified 
        under paragraph (1) who are suffering from a serious 
        psychiatric illness as a result of such terrorist attack, 
        including paying the costs of necessary medications; and
            (3) to carry out other activities determined appropriate by 
        the Secretary.
    (d) Supplement not Supplant.--Amounts expended for treatments under 
subsection (c)(2) shall be used to supplement and not supplant amounts 
otherwise made available for such treatments (including medications) 
under any other Federal, State, or local program or under any health 
insurance coverage.
    (e) Use of Private Entities and Existing Providers.--To the extent 
appropriate, a grantee under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) enter into contracts with private, nonprofit entities 
        to carry out activities under the grant; and
            (2) to the extent feasible, utilize providers that are 
        already serving the affected population, including providers 
        used by public safety officials.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary in 
each of fiscal years 2002 through 2005.

SEC. 4. RESEARCH.

    Part A of title II of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 202 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 229. RESEARCH.

    ``Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may 
waive any restriction on the amount of supplemental funding that may be 
provided to any disaster-related scientific research project that is 
funded by the Secretary.''.

SEC. 5. CHILDREN WHO EXPERIENCE VIOLENCE-RELATED STRESS.

    (a) In General.--Section 582(f) of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 290hh-1(f)) is amended by striking ``2002 and 2003'' and 
inserting ``2002 through 2005''.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
program established under section 582 of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 290hh-1) should be fully funded.

            Passed the Senate December 12, 2001.

            Attest:

                                                  JERI THOMSON,

                                                             Secretary.