[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3708 Introduced in House (IH)]


109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3708

 To dedicate 10 percent of Hurricane Katrina disaster relief funds for 
        mental health services to victims and first responders.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 8, 2005

Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas introduced the following bill; which 
 was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition 
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to 
      be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To dedicate 10 percent of Hurricane Katrina disaster relief funds for 
        mental health services to victims and first responders.

    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 ``Hurricane Katrina Mental Health 
Relief Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. DEDICATION OF 10 PERCENT OF HURRICANE KATRINA DISASTER RELIEF 
              FUNDS FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO VICTIMS AND FIRST 
              RESPONDERS.

    (a) In General.--Of the amounts provided in any Act for ``Disaster 
Relief'' enacted on or after September 8, 2005, in response to 
Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, 10 percent shall be available to the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services to provide reimbursement without cost-sharing 
for mental health professionals for the provision of outpatient mental 
health treatment (including appropriate prescription medications) of 
victims of, and first responders to, Hurricane Katrina for the 
treatment of stress, trauma, and other mental health conditions arising 
out of, or complicated by, such Hurricane and its aftermath.
    (b) Availability of Amounts.--Reimbursement under this section 
shall be available for services furnished during the 2-year period 
beginning on August 29, 2005.
    (c) Nonduplication of Benefits.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), reimbursement 
        under this section shall not be available for treatment to the 
        extent other reimbursement is available for such treatment.
            (2) Coverage of state share of medicaid and schip.--
        Reimbursement under this section shall be available to States 
        to cover the State share of costs of treatment described in 
        subsection (a) provided to beneficiaries under title XIX or XXI 
        of the Social Security Act who are victims of, or first 
        responders to, Hurricane Katrina.
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