[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3680 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3680
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a national
outreach and education strategy and research to improve the behavioral
and mental health of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific
Islander population, while addressing stigma within such population
against behavioral and mental health treatment.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 25, 2023
Ms. Chu (for herself, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Case, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Kim
of New Jersey, Mr. Lieu, Ms. Meng, Ms. Strickland, Ms. Tokuda, and Mrs.
Watson Coleman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a national
outreach and education strategy and research to improve the behavioral
and mental health of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific
Islander population, while addressing stigma within such population
against behavioral and mental health treatment.
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 ``Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our
Communities Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) The term ``AANHPI'' means Asian American, Native
Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander.
(2) Except as otherwise specified, the term ``Secretary''
means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The AANHPI community is among the fastest growing
population groups in the United States. It is a diverse
population representing over 30 countries, making up more than
50 distinct ethnic groups, and speaking more than 100 languages
and dialects.
(2) There is a growing mental health crisis in the United
States, particularly for AANHPI individuals. AANHPI individuals
with mental health problems have the lowest rates of mental
health service utilization compared to other racial or ethnic
populations. In 2021, only 25 percent of Asian adults with a
mental health problem received treatment in the past year.
Although suicide is the tenth leading cause of death, it is the
leading cause of death for AANHPI youth. From 2018 to 2020,
AANHPI youth between the ages of 10- to 24-years old were the
only racial or ethnic population in this age category where
suicide was the leading cause of death.
(3) Such mental health disparities within the AANHPI
community may be attributed to systemic barriers to accessing
mental health services, including stigma attached to mental
health, limited availability of and access to culturally and
linguistically appropriate services, and insufficient research.
(4) Insufficient research on AANHPI communities often leads
to an inaccurate representation of their experiences and needs.
It is imperative to disaggregate AANHPI population data to
better understand the range of mental health issues for each
subpopulation so specific culturally and linguistically
appropriate solutions can be developed.
(5) Critical investments are necessary to reduce stigma and
improve mental health within AANHPI communities, including--
(A) increasing culturally and linguistically
appropriate outreach, education, and mental health
services;
(B) improving representation of AANHPI individuals
among behavioral health providers; and
(C) strengthening data collection in research.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL ASIAN AMERICAN, NATIVE HAWAIIAN, AND PACIFIC ISLANDER
BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH AND EDUCATION
STRATEGY.
Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290dd
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``SEC. 553. NATIONAL AANHPI BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH AND
EDUCATION STRATEGY.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Assistant
Secretary, shall, in coordination with the Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Minority Health and the Director of the National Institute on
Minority Health and Health Disparities and in consultation with
advocacy and behavioral and mental health organizations serving
populations of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander
individuals or communities, develop and implement a national outreach
and education strategy to promote behavioral and mental health and
reduce stigma associated with mental health conditions and substance
use disorder within the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific
Islander population. Such strategy shall--
``(1) be designed to meet the diverse cultural and language
needs of the various Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and
Pacific Islander subpopulations;
``(2) be developmentally and age-appropriate;
``(3) increase awareness of symptoms of mental illnesses
common among such subpopulations, taking into account
differences within subgroups such as gender, gender identity,
age, sexual orientation, or ethnicity;
``(4) provide information on evidence-based, culturally and
linguistically appropriate and adapted interventions and
treatments;
``(5) ensure full participation of, and engage, both
consumers and community members in the development and
implementation of materials; and
``(6) seek to broaden the perspective among both
individuals in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific
Islander communities and stakeholders serving such communities
to use a comprehensive public health approach to promoting
behavioral and mental health that addresses a holistic view of
health by focusing on the intersection between behavioral and
mental health and physical health.
``(b) Reports.--Beginning not later than one year after the date of
enactment of the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act, and
annually thereafter, the Secretary, acting through the Assistant
Secretary, shall submit to the Congress, and make publicly available, a
report on the extent to which the strategy under subsection (a)
improved behavioral and mental health outcomes associated with mental
health conditions and substance use disorders within the Asian
American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander population.
``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $3,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2024 through 2028.''.
SEC. 5. STUDY AND REPORT ON THE AANHPI YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
(a) Study.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, in
coordination with the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority
Health and the Director of the National Institute on Minority
Health and Health Disparities, shall conduct a study on mental
health among AANHPI youth.
(2) Elements.--The study required by paragraph (1) shall
include assessment of--
(A) the prevalence of mental health conditions and
substance use disorders among AANHPI youth;
(B) AANHPI youth who attempted suicide or died by
suicide or substance use overdose; and
(C) AANHPI youth who received treatment for a
mental health condition or substance use disorder.
(b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and make publicly
available, a report on the findings of the study conducted under
subsection (a), including--
(1) identification of the barriers to behavioral and mental
health services that are faced by AANHPI youth;
(2) identification of root causes of mental health issues
among AANHPI youth;
(3) recommendations for actions to be taken by the
Secretary to improve mental health among AANHPI youth;
(4) recommendations for legislative or administrative
actions to improve mental health among AANHPI youth and reduce
the prevalence of AANHPI youth experiencing depression or
suicide; and
(5) such other recommendations as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(c) Data.--Any data included in the study or report under this
section shall be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender
identity, sexual orientation, geographic region, disability status, and
other relevant factors.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there is authorized to be appropriated $1,500,000 for fiscal year 2024.
SEC. 6. STUDY AND REPORT ON STRATEGIES ON THE AANHPI BEHAVIORAL AND
MENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE SHORTAGE.
(a) Study.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, in
coordination with the Secretary of Labor and the Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, shall conduct a study
on strategies for increasing the behavioral and mental health
professional workforce that identify as AANHPI.
(2) Elements.--The study required by paragraph (1) shall
include--
(A) the total number of licensed behavioral and
mental health providers in the United States who
identify as AANHPI;
(B) information regarding each such provider's
current type of license, geographic area of practice,
and type of employer (such as a hospital, a Federally
qualified health center, a school, or private
practice); and
(C) information regarding the cultural and
linguistic capabilities of such providers, including
languages spoken proficiently.
(b) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and make publicly
available, a report on the findings of the study under subsection (a),
including--
(1) identification of AANHPI licensed behavioral and mental
health care providers' knowledge and awareness of the barriers
to high-quality behavioral and mental health care services
faced by AANHPI individuals, including stigma, limited English
proficiency, and lack of health insurance coverage;
(2) recommendations for actions to be taken by the
Secretary to increase the number of AANHPI licensed behavioral
and mental health professionals;
(3) recommendations for legislative or administrative
action to improve the enrollment of AANHPI individuals in
behavioral and mental health professional education programs;
and
(4) such other recommendations as the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(c) Data.--Any data included in the study or report under this
section shall be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender
identity, sexual orientation, geographic region, disability status, and
other relevant factors.
(d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``licensed behavioral
and mental health provider'' means any individual licensed to provide
mental health and substance use disorder services, such as in the
professions of social work, psychology, psychiatry, marriage and family
therapy, mental health counseling, and substance use disorder
counseling.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there is authorized to be appropriated $1,500,000 for fiscal year 2024.
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