[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8141 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8141

  To amend the Public Health Service Act to reduce health inequities 
 experienced by individuals who are members of historically racial and 
  ethnic minority groups under State plans under the community mental 
      health services block grant program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 1, 2020

  Mr. Cardenas (for himself and Ms. Johnson of Texas) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Public Health Service Act to reduce health inequities 
 experienced by individuals who are members of historically racial and 
  ethnic minority groups under State plans under the community mental 
      health services block grant program, 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 ``Strengthening Mental Health Supports 
for BIPOC Communities Act''.

SEC. 2. REDUCING HEALTH INEQUITIES EXPERIENCED BY HISTORICALLY RACIAL 
              AND ETHNIC MINORITIES UNDER STATE PLANS UNDER COMMUNITY 
              MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 1942(a) of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 300x-52(a)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (5); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) services provided by the State to adults with a 
        serious mental illness and children with a serious emotional 
        disturbance who are members of historically racial and ethnic 
        minority groups, including--
                    ``(A) the extent to which such services are 
                provided to such adults and children; and
                    ``(B) the outcomes experienced by such adults and 
                children as a result of the provision of such services, 
                including with respect to--
                            ``(i) diversions from hospitalization and 
                        criminal justice system involvement;
                            ``(ii) treatment for first episode 
                        psychosis or undefined psychosis;
                            ``(iii) reductions in suicide and increased 
                        utilization of appropriate treatments and 
                        interventions for suicidal ideation;
                            ``(iv) response through crisis services, 
                        including mobile crisis services;
                            ``(v) treatment of individuals who are 
                        experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity 
                        and individuals residing in rural communities; 
                        and
                            ``(vi) increased patient family and/or 
                        caregiver engagement and education on serious 
                        mental illness to reduce social stigma and 
                        promote healthy social support for patients;
            ``(3) any outreach by the State to, and the hiring of, 
        providers from multiple disciplines (such as a psychologist, 
        psychiatrist, peer support provider, social worker) of mental 
        health services who are members of historically racial and 
        ethnic minority groups;
            ``(4) any outreach by the State to providers from multiple 
        disciplines of mental health services--
                    ``(A) to provide training on culturally effective, 
                culturally affirming, and linguistically competent 
                services; and
                    ``(B) to increase awareness of community-defined 
                practices by practitioners of historically racial and 
                ethnic minority groups; and''.
    (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to funding agreements entered into under section 
1911 or 1921 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x; 42 
U.S.C. 300x-21) on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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