[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1452 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1452

 To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a national center 
    for public mental health emergency preparedness, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 22, 2007

 Mrs. Clinton (for herself and Mr. Domenici) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a national center 
    for public mental health emergency preparedness, 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 ``Public Mental Health Emergency 
Preparedness Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL CENTER FOR PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY 
              PREPAREDNESS.

    (a) Technical Amendments.--The second part G (relating to services 
provided through religious organizations) of title V of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290kk et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating such part as part J; and
            (2) by redesignating sections 581 through 584 as sections 
        596 through 596C, respectively.
    (b) National Center.--Title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 290aa et seq.), as amended by subsection (a), is further amended 
by adding at the end the following:

     ``PART K--NATIONAL CENTER FOR PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY 
                              PREPAREDNESS

``SEC. 599. NATIONAL CENTER FOR PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY 
              PREPAREDNESS.

    ``(a) In General.--
            ``(1) Definition.--
                    ``(A) In general.--For purposes of this part, the 
                term `emergency health professionals' means--
                            ``(i) mental health professionals, 
                        including psychiatrists, psychologists, social 
                        workers, counselors, psychiatric nurses, 
                        psychiatric aides and case managers, group home 
                        staff, and those mental health professionals 
                        with expertise in psychological trauma and 
                        issues related to vulnerable populations such 
                        as children, older adults, caregivers, 
                        individuals with disabilities, pre-existing 
                        mental health and substance abuse disorders, 
                        and individuals living in poverty;
                            ``(ii) public health and healthcare 
                        professionals, including skilled nursing and 
                        assisted living professionals; and
                            ``(iii) emergency services personnel such 
                        as police, fire, and emergency medical services 
                        personnel.
                    ``(B) Coordination.--In conducting activities under 
                this part, emergency health professionals shall 
                coordinate with--
                            ``(i) county emergency managers;
                            ``(ii) school personnel such as teachers, 
                        counselors, and other personnel;
                            ``(iii) spiritual care professionals;
                            ``(iv) other disaster relief personnel; and
                            ``(v) State and local government officials 
                        that are responsible for emergency 
                        preparedness.
            ``(2) Establishment.--The Secretary, in consultation with 
        the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
        shall establish the National Center for Public Mental Health 
        Emergency Preparedness (referred to in this part as the 
        `NCPMHEP') to address mental health concerns and coordinate and 
        implement the development and delivery of mental health 
        services in conjunction with the entities described in 
        subsection (b)(2), in the event of bioterrorism or other public 
        health emergency.
            ``(3) Location; director.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall offer to 
                award a grant to an eligible institution to provide the 
                location of the NCPMHEP.
                    ``(B) Eligible institution.--To be an eligible 
                institution under subparagraph (A), an institution 
                shall--
                            ``(i) be an academic medical center or 
                        similar institution that has prior experience 
                        conducting statewide training, and has a 
                        demonstrated record of leadership in national 
                        and international forums, in public mental 
                        health emergency preparedness, which may 
                        include disaster mental health preparedness; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) submit to the Secretary an 
                        application at such time, in such manner, and 
                        containing such information as the Secretary 
                        may require.
                    ``(C) Director.--The NCPMHEP shall be headed by a 
                Director, who shall be appointed by the Secretary 
                (referred to in this part as the `Director') from the 
                eligible institution to which the Secretary awards a 
                grant under subparagraph (A).
    ``(b) Duties.--The NCPMHEP shall--
            ``(1) prepare the Nation's emergency health professionals 
        to provide mental health services in the aftermath of 
        catastrophic events, such as bioterrorism or other public 
        health emergencies, that present psychological consequences for 
        communities and individuals, including vulnerable populations 
        such as children, individuals with disabilities, individuals 
        with preexisting mental health problems (including substance-
        related disorders), older adults, caregivers, and individuals 
        living in poverty;
            ``(2) coordinate with existing mental health preparedness 
        and service delivery efforts of--
                    ``(A) Federal agencies (such as the National 
                Disaster Medical System, the Medical Reserve Corps, the 
                Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
                Administration (including the National Child Traumatic 
                Stress Network), the Administration on Aging, the 
                National Institute of Mental Health, the National 
                Council on Disabilities, the Administration on Children 
                and Families, the Department of Defense, the Department 
                of Veterans Affairs (including the National Center for 
                Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and tribal nations);
                    ``(B) State agencies (such as the State mental 
                health authority, office of substance abuse services, 
                public health authority, department of aging, the 
                office of mental retardation and developmental 
                disabilities, agencies responsible rehabilitation 
                services);
                    ``(C) local agencies (such as county offices of 
                mental health and substance abuse services, public 
                health, child and family community-based services, law 
                enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, school 
                districts, Aging Services Network, county emergency 
                management, and academic and community-based service 
                centers affiliated with the National Child Traumatic 
                Stress Network); and
                    ``(D) other governmental and nongovernmental 
                disaster relief organizations; and
            ``(3) coordinate with childcare centers, childcare 
        providers, community-based youth serving programs (including 
        local Center for Mental Health Services children's systems of 
        care grant sites), Head Start, the National Child Traumatic 
        Stress Network, and school districts to provide--
                    ``(A) support services to adults and their family 
                members with mental health and substance-related 
                disorders to facilitate access to mental health and 
                substance-related treatment;
                    ``(B) prevention and intervention services for 
                mental health and substance-related disorders to youth 
                of all ages that integrate the training curricula under 
                section 599A; and
                    ``(C) resources and consultation to address the 
                psychological trauma needs of the families, caregivers, 
                emergency health professionals; and all other 
                professionals providing care in emergency situations.
    ``(c) Panel of Experts.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Director, in consultation with 
        Federal (such as the National Association of State Mental 
        Health Program Directors, National Association of County and 
        City Health Officials, and the Association of State and 
        Territorial Health Officials), State, and local mental health 
        and public health authorities, shall develop a mechanism to 
        appoint a panel of experts for the NCPMHEP.
            ``(2) Membership.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The panel of experts appointed 
                under paragraph (1) shall be composed of individuals--
                            ``(i) who are--
                                    ``(I) experts in their respective 
                                fields with extensive experience in 
                                public mental health emergency 
                                preparedness or service delivery, such 
                                as mental health professionals, 
                                researchers, spiritual care 
                                professionals, school counselors, 
                                educators, and mental health 
                                professionals who are emergency health 
                                professionals (as defined in subsection 
                                (a)(1)(A)) and who shall coordinate 
                                with the individuals described in 
                                subsection (a)(1)(B); and
                                    ``(II) recommended by their 
                                respective national professional 
                                organizations and universities to such 
                                a position; and
                            ``(ii) who represent families with family 
                        members who have mental health and substance-
                        related disorders.
                    ``(B) Terms.--The members of the panel of experts 
                appointed under paragraph (1)--
                            ``(i) shall be appointed for a term of 3 
                        years; and
                            ``(ii) may be reappointed for an unlimited 
                        number of terms.
                    ``(C) Balance of composition.--The Director shall 
                ensure that the membership composition of the panel of 
                experts fairly represents a balance of the type and 
                number of experts described under subparagraph (A).
                    ``(D) Vacancies.--
                            ``(i) In general.--A vacancy on the panel 
                        of experts shall be filled in the manner in 
                        which the original appointment was made and 
                        shall be subject to conditions which applied 
                        with respect to the original appointment.
                            ``(ii) Filling unexpired term.--An 
                        individual chosen to fill a vacancy shall be 
                        appointed for the unexpired term of the member 
                        replaced.
                            ``(iii) Expiration of terms.--The term of 
                        any member shall not expire before the date on 
                        which the member's successor takes office.

``SEC. 599A. TRAINING CURRICULA FOR EMERGENCY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.

    ``(a) Convening of Group.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Director shall convene a Training 
        Curricula Working Group from the panel of experts described in 
        section 599(c) to--
                    ``(A) identify and review existing mental health 
                training curricula for emergency health professionals;
                    ``(B) approve any such training curricula that are 
                evidence-based or emerging best practices and that 
                satisfy practice and service delivery standards 
                determined by the Training Curricula Working Group; and
                    ``(C) make recommendations for, and participate in, 
                the development of any additional training curricula, 
                as determined necessary by the Training Curricula 
                Working Group.
            ``(2) Collaboration.--The Training Curricula Working Group 
        shall collaborate with appropriate organizations including the 
        American Red Cross, the National Child Traumatic Stress 
        Network, the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress 
        Disorder, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress 
        Studies.
    ``(b) Purpose of Training Curricula.--The Training Curricula 
Working Group shall ensure that the training curricula approved by the 
NCPMHEP--
            ``(1) provide the knowledge and skills necessary to respond 
        effectively to the psychological needs of affected individuals, 
        relief personnel, and communities in the event of bioterrorism 
        or other public health emergency; and
            ``(2) is used to build a trained network of emergency 
        health professionals at the State and local levels.
    ``(c) Content of Training Curricula.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Training Curricula Working Group 
        shall ensure that the training curricula approved by the 
        NCPMHEP--
                    ``(A) prepares emergency health professionals, in 
                the event of bioterrorism or other public health 
                emergency, for identifying symptoms of psychological 
                trauma, supplying immediate relief to keep affected 
                persons safe, recognizing when to refer affected 
                persons for further mental healthcare or substance 
                abuse treatment, understanding how and where to refer 
                for such care, and other components as determined by 
                the Director in consultation with the Training 
                Curricula Working Group;
                    ``(B) includes training or informational material 
                designed to educate and prepare State and local 
                government officials, in the event of bioterrorism or 
                other public health emergency, in coordinating and 
                deploying mental health resources and services and in 
                addressing other mental health needs, as determined by 
                the Director in consultation with the Training 
                Curricula Working Group;
                    ``(C) meets the diverse training needs of the range 
                of emergency health professionals; and
                    ``(D) is culturally and linguistically competent.
            ``(2) Review of curricula.--The Training Curricula Working 
        Group shall routinely review existing training curricula and 
        participate in the revision of the training curricula described 
        under this section as necessary, taking into consideration 
        recommendations made by the participants of the annual national 
        forum under section 599D and the Assessment Working Group 
        described under section 599E.
    ``(d) Training Individuals.--
            ``(1) Field trainers.--The Director, in consultation with 
        the Training Curricula Working Group, shall develop a mechanism 
        through which qualified individuals trained through the 
        curricula approved by the NCPMHEP return to their communities 
        to recruit and train others in their respective fields to serve 
        on local emergency response teams.
            ``(2) Field leaders.--The Director, in consultation with 
        the Training Curricula Working Group, shall develop a mechanism 
        through which qualified individuals trained in curricula 
        approved by the NCPMHEP return to their communities to provide 
        expertise to State and local government agencies to mobilize 
        the mental health infrastructure of such State or local 
        agencies, including ensuring that mental health is a component 
        of emergency preparedness and service delivery of such 
        agencies.
            ``(3) Qualifications.--The individuals selected under 
        paragraph (1) or (2) shall--
                    ``(A) pass a designated evaluation, as developed by 
                the Director in consultation with the Training 
                Curricula Working Group; and
                    ``(B) meet other qualifications as determined by 
                the Director in consultation with the Training 
                Curricula Working Group.

``SEC. 599B. USE OF REGISTRIES TO TRACK TRAINED EMERGENCY HEALTH 
              PROFESSIONALS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Director, in consultation with the mental 
and public health authorities of each State and appropriate 
organizations (including the National Child Traumatic Stress Network), 
shall coordinate the use of existing emergency registries (including 
the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health 
Professionals (ESAR-VHP)) established to track medical and mental 
health volunteers across all fields and specifically to track the 
individuals in the State who have been trained using the curricula 
approved by the NCPMHEP under section 599A. The Director shall ensure 
that the data available through such registries and used to track such 
trained individuals will be recoverable and available in the event that 
such registries become inoperable.
    ``(b) Use of Registry.--The tracking procedure under subsection (a) 
shall be used by the Secretary, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and 
the Governor of each State, for the recruitment and deployment of 
trained emergency health professionals in the event of bioterrorism or 
other public health emergency.

``SEC. 599C. CLEARINGHOUSE FOR PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY 
              PREPAREDNESS AND SERVICE DELIVERY.

    ``(a) In General.--The Director shall establish and maintain a 
central clearinghouse of educational materials, guidelines, 
information, strategies, resources, and research on public mental 
health emergency preparedness and service delivery.
    ``(b) Duties.--The Director shall ensure that the clearinghouse--
            ``(1) enables emergency health professionals and other 
        members of the public to increase their awareness and knowledge 
        of public mental health emergency preparedness and service 
        delivery, particularly for vulnerable populations such as 
        children, individuals with disabilities, individuals with pre-
        existing mental health problems (including substance-related 
        disorders), older adults, caregivers, and individuals living in 
        poverty; and
            ``(2) provides such users with access to a range of public 
        mental health emergency resources and strategies to address 
        their community's unique circumstances and to improve their 
        skills and capacities for addressing mental health problems in 
        the event of bioterrorism or other public health emergency.
    ``(c) Availability.--The Director shall ensure that the 
clearinghouse--
            ``(1) is available on the Internet;
            ``(2) includes an interactive forum through which users' 
        questions are addressed;
            ``(3) is fully versed in resources available from 
        additional Government-sponsored or other relevant websites that 
        supply information on public mental health emergency 
        preparedness and service delivery; and
            ``(4) includes the training curricula approved by the 
        NCPMHEP under section 599A.
    ``(d) Clearinghouse Working Group.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Director shall convene a 
        Clearinghouse Working Group from the panel of experts described 
        under section 599(c) to--
                    ``(A) evaluate the educational materials, 
                guidelines, information, strategies, resources and 
                research maintained in the clearinghouse to ensure 
                empirical validity; and
                    ``(B) offer technical assistance to users of the 
                clearinghouse with respect to finding and selecting the 
                information and resources available through the 
                clearinghouse that would most effectively serve their 
                community's needs in preparing for, and delivering 
                mental health services during, bioterrorism or other 
                public health emergencies.
            ``(2) Technical assistance.--The technical assistance 
        described under paragraph (1) shall include the use of 
        information from the clearinghouse to provide consultation, 
        direction, and guidance to State and local governments and 
        public and private agencies on the development of public mental 
        health emergency plans for activities involving preparedness, 
        mitigation, response, recovery, and evaluation.

``SEC. 599D. ANNUAL NATIONAL FORUM FOR PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY 
              PREPAREDNESS AND SERVICE DELIVERY.

    ``(a) In General.--The Director shall organize an annual national 
forum to address public mental health emergency preparedness and 
service delivery for emergency health professionals, researchers, 
scientists, experts in public mental health emergency preparedness and 
service delivery, and mental health professionals (including those with 
expertise in psychological trauma and issues related to vulnerable 
populations such as children, older adults, caregivers, individuals 
with disabilities, pre-existing mental health and substance abuse 
disorders, and individuals living in poverty), as well as personnel 
from relevant Federal (including the National Center for Post Traumatic 
Stress Disorder), State, and local agencies (including academic and 
community-based service centers affiliated with the National Child 
Traumatic Stress Network), and other governmental and nongovernmental 
organizations.
    ``(b) Purpose of Forum.--The national forum shall provide the 
framework for bringing such individuals together to, based on evidence-
based or emerging best practices research and practice, identify and 
address gaps in science, practice, policy, and education, make 
recommendations for the revision of training curricula and for the 
enhancement of mental health interventions, as appropriate, and make 
other recommendations as necessary.

``SEC. 599E. EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH 
              EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND SERVICE DELIVERY EFFORTS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Director shall convene an Assessment Working 
Group from the panel of experts described in section 599(c), who shall 
be independent from those individuals who have developed the NCPMHEP, 
to evaluate the effectiveness of the NCPMHEP's efforts and those across 
the Federal Government in building the Nation's public mental health 
emergency preparedness and service delivery capacity. Such group shall 
include individuals who have expertise on how to assess the 
effectiveness of the NCPMHEP's efforts on vulnerable populations (such 
as children, older adults, caregivers, individuals with disabilities, 
pre-existing mental health and substance abuse disorders, and 
individuals living in poverty).
    ``(b) Duties of the Assessment Working Group.--The Assessment 
Working Group shall--
            ``(1) evaluate--
                    ``(A) the effectiveness of each component of the 
                NCPMHEP, including the identification and development 
                of training curricula, the clearinghouse, and the 
                annual national forum;
                    ``(B) the effects of the training curricula on the 
                skills, knowledge, and attitudes of emergency health 
                professionals and on their delivery of mental health 
                services in the event of bioterrorism or other public 
                health emergency;
                    ``(C) the effects of the NCPMHEP on the capacities 
                of State and local government agencies to coordinate, 
                mobilize, and deploy resources and to deliver mental 
                health services in the event of bioterrorism or other 
                public health emergency; and
                    ``(D) other issues as determined by the Secretary, 
                in consultation with the Assessment Working Group; and
            ``(2) submit the annual report required under subsection 
        (c).
    ``(c) Annual Report and Information.--
            ``(1) Annual report.--On an annual basis, the Assessment 
        Working Group shall--
                    ``(A) report to the Secretary and appropriate 
                committees of Congress the results of the evaluation by 
                the Assessment Working Group under this section; and
                    ``(B) publish and disseminate the results of such 
                evaluation on as wide a basis as is practicable, 
                including through the NCPMHEP clearinghouse website 
                under section 599C.
            ``(2) Information.--The results of the evaluation under 
        paragraph (1) shall be displayed on the Internet websites of 
        all entities with representatives participating in the 
        Assessment Working Group under this section, including the 
        Federal agencies responsible for funding the Working Group.
    ``(d) Recommendations.--
            ``(1) In general.--Based on the annual report, the 
        Director, in consultation with the Assessment Working Group, 
        shall make recommendations to the Secretary--
                    ``(A) for improving--
                            ``(i) the training curricula identified and 
                        approved by the NCPMHEP;
                            ``(ii) the NCPMHEP clearinghouse; and
                            ``(iii) the annual forum of the NCPMHEP; 
                        and
                    ``(B) regarding any other matter related to 
                improving mental health preparedness and service 
                delivery in the event of bioterrorism or other public 
                health emergency in the United States through the 
                NCPMHEP.
            ``(2) Action by secretary.--Based on the recommendations 
        provided under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit 
        recommendations to Congress for any legislative changes 
        necessary to implement such recommendations.

``SEC. 599F. SUBSTANCE ABUSE.

    ``For purposes of this part, where ever there is a reference to 
providing treatment, having expertise, or provide training with respect 
to mental health, such reference shall include providing treatment, 
having expertise, or providing training relating to substance abuse, if 
determined appropriate by the Secretary.

``SEC. 599G. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part--
            ``(1) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; and
            ``(2) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2008 
        through 2011.''.

SEC. 3. DISASTER MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TEAMS.

    Section 2812(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh-
11(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Disaster medical assistance teams and mental health 
        professionals.--
                    ``(A) Inclusion of mental health professionals.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The National Disaster 
                        Medical System, in consultation with the 
                        National Center for Public Mental Health 
                        Emergency Preparedness (established under 
                        section 599) and the Emergency Management 
                        Assistance Compact, shall--
                                    ``(I) identify licensed mental 
                                health professionals with expertise in 
                                treating vulnerable populations, as 
                                identified under section 599(b)(1); and
                                    ``(II) ensure that licensed mental 
                                health professionals identified under 
                                subclause (I) are available in local 
                                communities for deployment with 
                                Disaster Medical Assistance Teams 
                                (including speciality mental health 
                                teams).
                            ``(ii) Coordination.--The National Disaster 
                        Medical System shall ensure that licensed 
                        mental health professionals are included in the 
                        leadership of the National Disaster Medical 
                        System, in coordination with the National 
                        Center for Public Mental Health Emergency, to 
                        provide appropriate leadership support for 
                        behavioral programs and personnel within the 
                        Disaster Medical Assistance Teams.
                    ``(B) Duties.--The principal duties of the licensed 
                mental health professionals identified and utilized 
                under this paragraph shall be to assist Disaster 
                Medical Assistance Teams in carrying out--
                            ``(i) rapid psychological triage during an 
                        event of bioterrorism or other public health 
                        emergency;
                            ``(ii) crisis intervention prior to and 
                        during an event of bioterrorism or other public 
                        health emergency;
                            ``(iii) information dissemination and 
                        referral to specialty care for survivors of an 
                        event of bioterrorism or other public health 
                        emergency;
                            ``(iv) data collection; and
                            ``(v) follow-up consultations.
                    ``(C) Training.--The National Disaster Medical 
                System shall coordinate with the National Center for 
                Public Mental Health Emergency Preparedness to ensure 
                that, as part of their training, Disaster Medical 
                Assistance Teams include the training curricula for 
                emergency health professionals established under 
                section 599A.
                    ``(D) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
                            ``(i) Disaster medical assistance teams.--
                        The term `Disaster Medical Assistance Teams' 
                        means teams of professional medical personnel 
                        that provide emergency medical care during a 
                        disaster or public health emergency.
                            ``(ii) Rapid psychological triage.--The 
                        term `rapid psychological triage' means the 
                        accurate and rapid identification of 
                        individuals at varied levels of risk in the 
                        aftermath of a public health emergency, in 
                        order to provide the appropriate, acute 
                        intervention for those affected individuals.
                            ``(iii) Data collection.--The term `data 
                        collection' means the use of standardized, 
                        consistent, and accurate methods to report 
                        evidence-based or emerging best practices, 
                        triage mental health data obtained from 
                        survivors of an event of bioterrorism or other 
                        public health emergency.''.
                                 <all>