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<dc:title>117 S1795 IS: Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. Senate</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2021-05-24</dc:date>
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<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
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<distribution-code display="yes">II</distribution-code><congress>117th CONGRESS</congress><session>1st Session</session><legis-num>S. 1795</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES</current-chamber><action><action-date date="20210524">May 24, 2021</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="S306">Mr. Menendez</sponsor> (for himself, <cosponsor name-id="S385">Ms. Cortez Masto</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S370">Mr. Booker</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S277">Mr. Carper</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S394">Ms. Smith</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S330">Mr. Bennet</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S341">Mr. Blumenthal</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S413">Mr. Padilla</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S366">Ms. Warren</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S409">Mr. Luján</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S364">Mr. Murphy</cosponsor>, and <cosponsor name-id="S402">Ms. Rosen</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the <committee-name committee-id="SSHR00">Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title>To address mental health issues for youth, particularly youth of color, and for other purposes.</official-title></form><legis-body style="OLC" display-enacting-clause="yes-display-enacting-clause" id="HD89775CD251E4C60B1B70DB5ECAB070F"><section section-type="section-one" id="H59BFADE48D424156A60D3E61A4E021A8"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act</short-title></quote>.</text></section><section section-type="subsequent-section" id="HF2DF6C71215540C695A04DD10CC5C4BD"><enum>2.</enum><header>Table of contents</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The table of contents for this Act is as follows:</text><toc container-level="legis-body-container" lowest-bolded-level="division-lowest-bolded" lowest-level="section" quoted-block="no-quoted-block" regeneration="yes-regeneration"><toc-entry idref="H59BFADE48D424156A60D3E61A4E021A8" level="section">Sec. 1. Short title.</toc-entry><toc-entry idref="HF2DF6C71215540C695A04DD10CC5C4BD" level="section">Sec. 2. Table of contents.</toc-entry><toc-entry idref="H04017F689DB9440FA7BCFE092196A77C" level="title">Title I—Health Equity and Accountability</toc-entry><toc-entry idref="H4BF9D7A0557D4D64A4CC0F6B144D8C69" level="section">Sec. 101. Integrated Health Care Demonstration Program.</toc-entry><toc-entry idref="HDDE470F49E9C47F981A4563F3E570E5E" level="section">Sec. 102. Addressing racial and ethnic minority mental health disparities research gaps.</toc-entry><toc-entry idref="H8AE584B1772E4DF0864D4B86152A9C2F" level="section">Sec. 103. Health professions competencies to address racial and ethnic minority mental health disparities.</toc-entry><toc-entry idref="H5CCCD6D0D2AF404080E5D89431E24BD2" level="section">Sec. 104. Racial and ethnic minority behavioral and mental health outreach and education strategy.</toc-entry><toc-entry idref="HF48FC384DE3F43B79D816B80C904EA69" level="section">Sec. 105. Additional funds for National Institutes of Health.</toc-entry><toc-entry idref="H85040F1F5E49462985BC1B83706DFF30" level="section">Sec. 106. Additional funds for National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.</toc-entry><toc-entry idref="HA948E7F74EDD45EBB486C723A5915D67" level="title">Title II—Other provisions</toc-entry><toc-entry idref="HA4A6B73D834F414C853F22675222C7A1" level="section">Sec. 201. Reauthorization of Minority Fellowship Program.</toc-entry><toc-entry idref="H20746907198E4C49A294D838E0FE9AC5" level="section">Sec. 202. Study on the Effects of Smartphone and Social Media Use on Adolescents.</toc-entry><toc-entry idref="H8D92BB64811F414C92E2A38D85140226" level="section">Sec. 203. Technical correction.</toc-entry></toc></section><title id="H04017F689DB9440FA7BCFE092196A77C"><enum>I</enum><header>Health Equity and Accountability</header><section commented="no" id="H4BF9D7A0557D4D64A4CC0F6B144D8C69"><enum>101.</enum><header>Integrated Health Care Demonstration Program</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/290dd">42 U.S.C. 290dd</external-xref> et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 553 of such Act (as redesignated and moved by section 203 of this Act) the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H1C3C627E4821482288E0A0A02D52B3F2"><section commented="no" id="H7DA18815B425431C9779D4756991DE94"><enum>554.</enum><header>Interprofessional health care teams for provision of behavioral health care in primary care settings</header><subsection commented="no" id="HFFC0C81947EC4C209DA146A35DBAE978"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Grants</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities for the purpose of establishing interprofessional health care teams that provide behavioral health care.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" id="HE255A62DAA974275A4663658E2B52EE5"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Eligible entities</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall be a Federally qualified health center (as defined in section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act), rural health clinic, or behavioral health program, serving a high proportion of individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups (as defined in section 1707(g)).</text></subsection><subsection id="H7ECBB26404604E2EA285624C0608B80B"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Scientifically based</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Integrated health care funded through this section shall be scientifically based, taking into consideration the results of the most recent peer-reviewed research available.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" id="HB00DD101EC4E48BD98FA2B88F84DA12F"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of the first 5 fiscal years following the date of enactment of the <short-title>Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act</short-title>.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><section commented="no" id="HDDE470F49E9C47F981A4563F3E570E5E"><enum>102.</enum><header>Addressing racial and ethnic minority mental health disparities research gaps</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall enter into an arrangement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (or, if the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine decline to enter into such an arrangement, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or another appropriate entity)—</text><paragraph id="HC3556590B1D24032875CCE883A39A5E8"><enum>(1)</enum><text>to conduct a study with respect to mental health disparities in racial and ethnic minority groups (as defined in section 1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/300u-6">42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)</external-xref>)); and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HB4F45B5D688A41C28C43BD78C60F099A"><enum>(2)</enum><text>to submit to the Congress a report on the results of such study, including—</text><subparagraph id="H1693ADF510D344B688ED93ED9ACD8E48"><enum>(A)</enum><text>a compilation of information on the dynamics of mental disorders in such racial and ethnic minority groups; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H3C67FDFFFE46401496A7BE32654BB1B4"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">a compilation of information on the impact of exposure to community violence, adverse childhood experiences, structural racism, and other psychological traumas on mental disorders in such racial and minority groups.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></section><section id="H8AE584B1772E4DF0864D4B86152A9C2F"><enum>103.</enum><header>Health professions competencies to address racial and ethnic minority mental health disparities</header><subsection id="H87F6A3EFE04B447AB539CBA72DACB09B"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary of Health and Human Services may award grants to qualified national organizations for the purposes of—</text><paragraph id="H24599EC22F454729A4102FA982BA2499"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">developing, and disseminating to health professional educational programs best practices or core competencies addressing mental health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups for use in the training of students in the professions of social work, psychology, psychiatry, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, and substance misuse counseling; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H6FC0838A38DD471A86069DFA115A8220"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">certifying community health workers and peer wellness specialists with respect to such best practices and core competencies and integrating and expanding the use of such workers and specialists into health care to address mental health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HA5A68DCB59CD4403A0FED7F9A7C7E8DC"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Best practices; core competencies</header><text>Organizations receiving funds under subsection (a) may use the funds to engage in the following activities related to the development and dissemination of best practices or core competencies described in subsection (a)(1):</text><paragraph id="H85C17AA089704275B7792EA0DFCF9479"><enum>(1)</enum><text>Formation of committees or working groups comprised of experts from accredited health professions schools to identify best practices and core competencies relating to mental health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H166CFE1A239F4679A361E462C1B2CD9B"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Planning of workshops in national fora to allow for public input into the educational needs associated with mental health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HF42EA02D894A4D1197373276E7338FBD"><enum>(3)</enum><text>Dissemination and promotion of the use of best practices or core competencies in undergraduate and graduate health professions training programs nationwide.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H566B20E11C8644D6814CD1D0E593A515"><enum>(4)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Establishing external stakeholder advisory boards to provide meaningful input into policy and program development and best practices to reduce mental health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H7F0E9EA0241849A5A7A8D0B20E2414EF"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this section:</text><paragraph id="HDA6A5EE9E3434932A3FB94ACCC0CC0D0"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Qualified national organization</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>qualified national organization</term> means a national organization that focuses on the education of students in one or more of the professions of social work, psychology, psychiatry, marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, and substance misuse counseling.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H3FAF59D262544BDF878F671C5877B307"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Racial and ethnic minority group</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>racial and ethnic minority group</term> has the meaning given to such term in section 1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/300u-6">42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)</external-xref>).</text></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="H5CCCD6D0D2AF404080E5D89431E24BD2"><enum>104.</enum><header>Racial and ethnic minority behavioral and mental health outreach and education strategy</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/290dd">42 U.S.C. 290dd</external-xref> et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 554 of such Act, as added by section 101 of this Act, the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" id="HE730A398A9824595BA9167455660BBA4"><section id="H0E66C9665BC542B0AD9B1D6340EA628F"><enum>555.</enum><header>Behavioral and mental health outreach and education strategy</header><subsection id="HCBD9E2B438C14CFAB31CF376DC24E6B7"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Secretary shall, in consultation with advocacy and behavioral and mental health organizations serving racial and ethnic minority groups, develop and implement an outreach and education strategy to promote behavioral and mental health and reduce stigma associated with mental health conditions and substance abuse among racial and ethnic minority groups. Such strategy shall—</text><paragraph id="H97381B04FAFC40DCADD1BE87E5B448F0"><enum>(1)</enum><text>be designed to—</text><subparagraph id="HE529863321FD49BCBE85E337692BDF93"><enum>(A)</enum><text>meet the diverse cultural and language needs of the various racial and ethnic minority groups; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H823B28579E3F415587EA54EF19CA2323"><enum>(B)</enum><text>be developmentally and age-appropriate;</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H71EEAC02CB664D019F483F52BC1B20F6"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">increase awareness of symptoms of mental illnesses common among such groups, taking into account differences within at-risk subgroups;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H4760326BE851491F852517AF7787C194"><enum>(3)</enum><text>provide information on evidence-based, culturally and linguistically appropriate and adapted interventions and treatments;</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HADB8A8942425419F870B691FCC9F72AD"><enum>(4)</enum><text>ensure full participation of, and engage, both consumers and community members in the development and implementation of materials; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H12A360CB84C04EAE927BE922C26D16B6"><enum>(5)</enum><text>seek to broaden the perspective among both individuals in these groups and stakeholders serving these groups to use a comprehensive public health approach to promoting behavioral health that addresses a holistic view of health by focusing on the intersection between behavioral and physical health.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HB68F90DE743B423E994D54ACE018488E"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Reports</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Beginning not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress, and make publicly available, a report on the extent to which the strategy developed and implemented under subsection (a) increased behavioral and mental health outcomes associated with mental health conditions and substance abuse among racial and ethnic minority groups.</text></subsection><subsection id="H99773F33B48B42D49654F21DE3E3B919"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Definition</header><text>In this section, the term <term>racial and ethnic minority group</term> has the meaning given to that term in section 1707(g).</text></subsection><subsection id="HC0662C2963274BB586CC70D6286C71A7"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Authorization of appropriations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><section id="HF48FC384DE3F43B79D816B80C904EA69"><enum>105.</enum><header>Additional funds for National Institutes of Health</header><subsection id="H9A15B5EA9CD949A591703D8DD584CB42"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated to the National Institutes of Health, there is authorized to be appropriated to such Institutes $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to build relations with communities and conduct or support clinical research, including clinical research on racial or ethnic disparities in physical and mental health.</text></subsection><subsection id="HB3A6099C2BAF4FF6A635FE6D1130F43F"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Definition</header><text>In this section, the term <term>clinical research</term> has the meaning given to such term in section 409 of the Public Health Service Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/284d">42 U.S.C. 284d</external-xref>).</text></subsection></section><section id="H85040F1F5E49462985BC1B83706DFF30"><enum>106.</enum><header>Additional funds for National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated to the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, there is authorized to be appropriated to such Institute $650,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.</text></section></title><title id="HA948E7F74EDD45EBB486C723A5915D67"><enum>II</enum><header>Other provisions</header><section id="HA4A6B73D834F414C853F22675222C7A1"><enum>201.</enum><header>Reauthorization of Minority Fellowship Program</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 597(c) of the Public Health Service Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/297ll">42 U.S.C. 297ll(c)</external-xref>) is amended by striking <quote>$12,669,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022</quote> and inserting <quote>$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026</quote>.</text></section><section id="H20746907198E4C49A294D838E0FE9AC5"><enum>202.</enum><header>Study on the Effects of Smartphone and Social Media Use on Adolescents</header><subsection id="H4D0A46534F394012BDCB2CD0022E2482"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall conduct or support research on—</text><paragraph id="HCF5F9C80C7C447A58B94CF9A38749DF7"><enum>(1)</enum><text>smartphone and social media use by adolescents; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HB38B993D30B945C4BB800145E42C7B78"><enum>(2)</enum><text>the effects of such use on—</text><subparagraph id="H784C4AD7AD8647DEA66F80B1BAF1FECD"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">emotional, behavioral, and physical health and development; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H544CBDD76B8146A29018E407D2176698"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">disparities in minority and underserved populations.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H14228382940A4DA0BCE583092D2D030E"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Report</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress, and make publicly available, a report on the findings of research described in this section.</text></subsection></section><section id="H8D92BB64811F414C92E2A38D85140226"><enum>203.</enum><header>Technical correction</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Title V of the Public Health Service Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/290aa">42 U.S.C. 290aa</external-xref> et seq.) is amended—</text><paragraph id="HD90B0C84DC9B41A3815E34ECA5753683"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by redesignating the second section 550 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/290ee-10">42 U.S.C. 290ee–10</external-xref>) (relating to Sobriety Treatment And Recovery Teams) as section 553; and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H12609010050C4DFAB2068DDE76175FC0"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by moving such section, as so redesignated, so as to appear after section 552 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/290ee-7">42 U.S.C. 290ee–7</external-xref>).</text></paragraph></section></title></legis-body></bill> 

