[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 137 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 137

To authorize funding to increase access to mental health care treatment 
                        to reduce gun violence.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 2021

 Ms. Jackson Lee introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 
  on the Judiciary, 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 authorize funding to increase access to mental health care treatment 
                        to reduce gun violence.

    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 ``Mental Health Access and Gun 
Violence Prevention Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Suicide is the leading cause of gun related deaths in 
        America. More than 60 percent of deaths by guns in the country 
        are the result of individuals using these weapons as a means to 
        commit suicide. Some of these deaths might have been prevented 
        if there were adequate background checks.
            (2) Victims of domestic abuse are more likely to become 
        victims of homicide when a gun is present. Further, individuals 
        who suffer from mental illnesses are more likely to be victims 
        rather than perpetrators of violence.
            (3) Approximately 1 in 4 American adults have a mental 
        illness and nearly half of all adults in America will develop 
        at least one mental illness during their lifetime.
            (4) Less than half of children and adults with diagnosable 
        mental health problems receive the treatment they need.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF FUNDING TO INCREASE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH 
              CARE TREATMENT TO REDUCE GUN VIOLENCE.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General of 
the United States, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the 
Commissioner of Social Security $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2022 to 
carry out programs and activities authorized by provisions of law other 
than this Act--
            (1) to increase access to mental health care treatment and 
        services; and
            (2) to encourage and assist the reporting of relevant 
        disqualifying mental health information to the National Instant 
        Criminal Background Check System.
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