[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3176 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3176

     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide mental health and 
                       substance abuse services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 23, 2008

 Mr. Reid (for Ms. Landrieu) introduced the following bill; which was 
   read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                          Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide mental health and 
                       substance abuse services.

    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 ``Disaster Recovery Substance Abuse 
Mental Health Treatment Act of 2008''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``emergency response provider'' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 2 of the Homeland Security 
        Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101); and
            (2) the term ``major disaster'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
        and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).

SEC. 3. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES.

    (a) Authority.--
            (1) In general.--Title IV of the Robert T. Stafford 
        Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 et 
        seq.) is amended by striking section 416 and inserting the 
        following:

``SEC. 416. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES.

    ``(a) In General.--The President may provide mental health and 
substance abuse services, including crisis counseling, mental health 
treatment referrals, and in severe cases, mental health and substance 
abuse treatment (including medication and medication management) to 
individuals affected by a major disaster (including children and other 
vulnerable populations, and emergency response providers (as that term 
is defined in section 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
101)) responding to a major disaster) to relieve or prevent mental 
health or substance abuse problems caused or aggravated by that major 
disaster or its aftermath.
    ``(b) Financial Assistance.--The assistance provided under 
subsection (a) may include providing financial assistance to Federal, 
State, or local government agencies, public or private mental health or 
substance abuse organizations, or mental health providers to provide 
mental health or substance abuse services or train individuals to 
provide such services.
    ``(c) Duration of Assistance.--
            ``(1) In general.--The President may provide financial 
        assistance under this section relating to a particular major 
        disaster to a Federal, State, or local government agency or a 
        public or private mental health or substance abuse organization 
        for a period of not longer than 18 months.
            ``(2) Extension.--In limited circumstances, such as a 
        catastrophic incident (as that term is defined in section 501 
        of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 311), the 
        President may extend the period of financial assistance under 
        this section if the President determines that the extension is 
        in the public interest.''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by this subsection 
        shall apply to any major disaster declared by the President on 
        or after August 29, 2005.
    (b) Response Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and 
Mental Health Services Administration and the head of any other Federal 
agency that provides mental health or substance abuse services, in 
coordination with the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency and State and local government officials with responsibilities 
for providing mental health or substance abuse prevention and services, 
shall--
            (1) conduct a survey of mental health services and 
        substance abuse services; and
            (2) develop a strategy for the adequate provision of mental 
        health and substance abuse services to individuals affected by 
        major disasters and to emergency response providers responding 
        to major disasters.
    (c) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--Title IV of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170 
et seq.) is amended by redesignating section 425 (relating to essential 
service providers), as added by section 601 of the SAFE Port Act 
(Public Law 109-347; 120 Stat. 1941), as section 427.
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