[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8470 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8470

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make awards 
 to increase or improve access to comprehensive mental and behavioral 
health services for individuals exposed to violent encounters involving 
           law enforcement personnel, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 21, 2024

Ms. Bush (for herself, Mr. Bowman, Mr. Carson, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, 
Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Ramirez, Ms. Tlaib, and 
Mrs. Watson Coleman) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
    to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the 
  Committees on Education and the Workforce, and 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 the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make awards 
 to increase or improve access to comprehensive mental and behavioral 
health services for individuals exposed to violent encounters involving 
           law enforcement personnel, 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 ``Helping Families Heal Act of 
2024''.

SEC. 2. HELPING FAMILIES HEAL PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in 
this section referred to as the ``Secretary''), acting through the 
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall carry 
out a program, to be known as the Helping Families Heal Program, 
consisting of awarding grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements to 
eligible entities to--
            (1) recruit, hire, train, and dispatch mental health 
        professionals and community health workers to provide 
        comprehensive mental health services to individuals who have 
        suffered traumatic experiences, or are in grief, in 
        bereavement, or at risk of suicide or violence, as a result 
        of--
                    (A) witnessing or experiencing law enforcement 
                personnel violence;
                    (B) the death of a family member due to law 
                enforcement personnel violence; or
                    (C) the death of a colleague or neighbor due to law 
                enforcement personnel violence;
            (2) implement community-based mental health programs that--
                    (A) build awareness of individual, community, and 
                intergenerational trauma as a result of witnessing or 
                experiencing law enforcement personnel violence;
                    (B) train staff and volunteers to identify, and 
                screen for, signs of trauma exposure, mental health 
                disorders, and risk of suicide in the wake of law 
                enforcement personnel violence;
                    (C) incorporate community interventions, family 
                engagement, and intergenerational counseling that 
                encourage the development of positive mental health, 
                prevent mental health disorders, and diminish the 
                impact of trauma resulting from law enforcement 
                personnel violence;
                    (D) facilitate partnerships among families, mental 
                health and substance use disorder providers, family-
                based mental health and substance use disorder 
                providers, trauma networks, and health care providers 
                (including mental health professionals and community 
                health workers who specialize in pediatric services); 
                and
                    (E) establish mechanisms for individuals who have 
                witnessed or experienced law enforcement personnel 
                violence to report incidents of violence or plans to 
                commit violence; or
            (3) provide technical assistance to community-based 
        organizations regarding the activities described in paragraphs 
        (1) and (2).
    (b) Duration of Awards.--The duration of a grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement awarded under subsection (a) shall be no longer 
than 1 year.
    (c) Additional Awards.--Subject to the availability of funds, the 
Secretary shall make an additional award of grants, contracts, or 
cooperative agreements under subsection (a) each fiscal year through 
fiscal year 2029 to each recipient of an award under subsection (a) 
that demonstrates that its award resulted in a substantial increase in 
the number of individuals provided with mental health services who have 
witnessed or experienced law enforcement personnel violence.
    (d) Priority.--In awarding grants, contracts, and cooperative 
agreements under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to 
eligible entities in communities that--
            (1) have high rates of interaction with law enforcement 
        personnel for residents;
            (2) have been or are currently subject to a Federal or 
        State investigation regarding racial bias in the use of force 
        by law enforcement personnel;
            (3) have high rates of arrest and incarceration of persons 
        with mental illness, intellectual disability, or developmental 
        disability; or
            (4) commit to providing in-kind contributions from non-
        Federal sources, or volunteer hours, for individuals served by 
        recipients of awards under this section.
    (e) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement under subsection (a), an entity shall be--
            (1) a community-based mental health care or substance use 
        disorder provider, including a public or private mental health 
        entity, health care entity, family-based mental health entity, 
        or trauma network; or
            (2) a community-based organization or nonprofit 
        organization as determined appropriate by the Secretary.
    (f) Limitation.--The Secretary may not award any funds under this 
section to a law enforcement or child protective services entity.
    (g) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to limit the applicability of the regulations under section 
264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 
1996 (42 U.S.C. 1320d-2 note) to any patient records developed by 
covered entities through activities funded through an award under this 
section.
    (h) Geographical Distribution.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
recipients of grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements under 
subsection (a) are distributed equitably among the regions of the 
country and among urban and rural areas.
    (i) Evaluation and Measures of Outcomes.--
            (1) Development of process.--The Secretary shall develop a 
        fiscally appropriate process for evaluating activities carried 
        out pursuant to an award under this section. Such process shall 
        include--
                    (A) the development of guidelines for the 
                submission of program data by grant, contract, and 
                cooperative agreement recipients;
                    (B) the application by such recipients of measures 
                of outcomes developed under paragraph (2) to the 
                programs funded through such awards; and
                    (C) the submission of annual reports by such 
                recipients concerning the effectiveness of programs 
                funded through such awards.
            (2) Measures of outcomes.--The Secretary shall develop 
        measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients of awards 
        under this section to evaluate the effectiveness of activities 
        funded through such awards.
    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2029.

SEC. 3. HEALING FOR STUDENTS PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in 
this section referred to as the ``Secretary''), acting through the 
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall carry 
out a program, to be known as the Healing for Students Program, 
consisting of awarding grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to 
eligible entities to--
            (1) recruit, hire, train, and dispatch mental health 
        professionals and community health workers to provide 
        comprehensive mental health services to students and school 
        personnel who have suffered traumatic experiences, or are in 
        grief, in bereavement, or at risk of suicide or violence, as a 
        result of--
                    (A) witnessing or experiencing law enforcement 
                personnel violence;
                    (B) the death of a family member due to law 
                enforcement personnel violence; or
                    (C) the death of a colleague or neighbor due to law 
                enforcement personnel violence;
            (2) implement school-based mental health programs that--
                    (A) build awareness of individual, community, and 
                intergenerational trauma as a result of witnessing or 
                experiencing law enforcement personnel violence;
                    (B) train school personnel to identify, and screen 
                for, signs of trauma exposure, mental health disorders, 
                and risk of suicide in the wake of law enforcement 
                personnel violence;
                    (C) incorporate family engagement, student 
                supports, and intergenerational counseling that 
                encourage the development of positive mental health, 
                prevent mental health disorders, and diminish the 
                impact of trauma resulting from law enforcement 
                personnel violence;
                    (D) educate students and their families on the 
                stigma surrounding mental health;
                    (E) facilitate partnerships among families, 
                students, mental health and substance use disorder 
                providers, family-based mental health and substance use 
                disorder providers, trauma networks, and health care 
                providers (including mental health professionals and 
                community health workers who specialize in pediatric 
                services); and
                    (F) establish mechanisms for students and school 
                personnel who have witnessed or experienced law 
                enforcement personnel violence to report incidents of 
                violence or plans to commit violence; or
            (3) in the case of a grantee that is a local educational 
        agency or a consortium of local educational agencies, provide 
        technical assistance to schools regarding the activities 
        described in paragraphs (1) and (2).
    (b) Duration of Awards.--The duration of a grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement awarded under subsection (a) shall be no longer 
than 1 year.
    (c) Additional Awards.--Subject to the availability of funds, the 
Secretary shall make an additional award of grants, contracts, or 
cooperative agreements under subsection (a) each fiscal year through 
fiscal year 2029 to each recipient of an award under subsection (a) 
that demonstrates that its award resulted in a substantial increase in 
the number of individuals provided with mental health services who have 
witnessed or experienced law enforcement personnel violence.
    (d) Priority.--In awarding grants, contracts, and cooperative 
agreements under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to 
eligible entities serving communities that--
            (1) have high rates of interaction with law enforcement 
        personnel for residents;
            (2) have been or are currently subject to a Federal or 
        State investigation regarding racial bias in the use of force 
        by law enforcement personnel;
            (3) have high rates of arrest and incarceration of persons 
        with mental illness, intellectual disability, or developmental 
        disability; or
            (4) commit to providing in-kind contributions from non-
        Federal sources, or volunteer hours, for students and school 
        personnel served by recipients of awards under this section.
    (e) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant, contract, or 
cooperative agreement under subsection (a), an entity shall be--
            (1) a local educational agency serving elementary schools 
        and secondary schools;
            (2) a consortium of such local educational agencies; or
            (3) an elementary school or secondary school.
    (f) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to limit the applicability of the regulations under section 
264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 
1996 (42 U.S.C. 1320d-2 note) to any patient records developed by 
covered entities through activities funded through an award under this 
section.
    (g) Geographical Distribution.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
recipients of grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements under 
subsection (a) are distributed equitably among the regions of the 
country and among urban and rural areas.
    (h) Evaluation and Measures of Outcomes.--
            (1) Development of process.--The Secretary shall develop a 
        fiscally appropriate process for evaluating activities carried 
        out pursuant to an award under this section. Such process shall 
        include--
                    (A) the development of guidelines for the 
                submission of program data by grant, contract, and 
                cooperative agreement recipients;
                    (B) the application by such recipients of measures 
                of outcomes developed under paragraph (2) to the 
                programs funded through such awards; and
                    (C) the submission of annual reports by such 
                recipients concerning the effectiveness of programs 
                funded through such awards.
            (2) Measures of outcomes.--The Secretary shall develop 
        measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients of awards 
        under this section to evaluate the effectiveness of activities 
        funded through such awards.
    (i) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``elementary school'', 
``local educational agency'', and ``secondary school'' have the 
meanings given to such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2029.

SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, the 
Secretary of Education, and the Attorney General, acting jointly, shall 
establish a permanent interagency task force (referred to in this 
section as the ``Task Force'') to coordinate and promote holistic, 
qualified responses to victims of law enforcement personnel violence.
    (b) Members.--The Task Force shall be composed of the following 
members:
            (1) The Secretary of Health and Human Services (or the 
        Secretary's designee).
            (2) The Secretary of Education (or the Secretary's 
        designee).
            (3) The Attorney General of the United States (or the 
        Attorney General's designee).
            (4) The heads of other Federal departments and agencies (or 
        their designees), as determined necessary by the Secretary of 
        Health and Human Services.
    (c) Duties.--The Task Force shall--
            (1) solicit regular and detailed input from stakeholders, 
        including victims of law enforcement personnel violence and 
        their families, students, educators, mental health 
        professionals, community health workers, researchers, experts 
        in infant, child, and youth trauma, and the public;
            (2) recommend mechanisms for the Department of Health and 
        Human Services, the Department of Education, and the Department 
        of Justice to collect and review statistical data about 
        interactions with law enforcement personnel;
            (3) identify options for coordinating existing grants that 
        support people who have experienced law enforcement personnel 
        violence;
            (4) recommend other ways to improve coordination, planning, 
        and communication within and across Federal agencies, offices, 
        and programs, to better serve people who have experienced law 
        enforcement personnel violence; and
            (5) facilitate ongoing efforts to streamline the 
        application, monitoring, and reporting processes to make 
        Federal funds provided pursuant to awards under this Act and 
        other similar existing grants maximally accessible to small, 
        grassroots organizations that support communities acutely 
        impacted by high rates of law enforcement personnel violence.
    (d) Meetings.--For the purpose of carrying out this section, the 
Task Force may hold such meetings, and sit and act at such times and 
places, as the Task Force considers appropriate.
    (e) Information.--The Task Force may secure directly from any 
Federal agency such information as may be necessary to enable the Task 
Force to carry out this section. Upon request of the Chairperson of the 
Task Force, the head of such agency shall furnish such information to 
the Task Force.
    (f) Reports.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the first 
meeting of the Task Force, and at least once every 2 years thereafter, 
the Task Force shall--
            (1) submit to the general public, the heads of relevant 
        Federal departments and agencies other than those represented 
        on the Task Force, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the 
        Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Education and 
        the Workforce of the House of Representatives, and the 
        Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the 
        Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, a report containing 
        all of the findings and recommendations required under this 
        section; and
            (2) make such report available online in an accessible 
        format.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Community health worker.--The term ``community health 
        worker'' means a frontline public health worker who--
                    (A) is a trusted member of, or has a close 
                understanding of, the community served, enabling the 
                worker to serve as a link between health and social 
                services and the community, so as to facilitate access 
                to services and improve the quality and cultural 
                competence of service delivery; and
                    (B) builds individual and community capacity by 
                increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency 
                through a range of activities such as outreach, 
                community education, informal counseling, social 
                support, and advocacy.
            (2) Interaction with law enforcement personnel.--The term 
        ``interaction with law enforcement personnel'' means an 
        interaction in which--
                    (A) a law enforcement agent uses force or threatens 
                to use force;
                    (B) an individual is stopped by a law enforcement 
                agent while such individual is--
                            (i) driving a motor vehicle; or
                            (ii) otherwise in public;
                    (C) an individual is a passenger in a motor vehicle 
                that is stopped by a law enforcement agent;
                    (D) an individual is arrested; or
                    (E) an individual is otherwise stopped or 
                approached by a law enforcement agent.
            (3) Law enforcement personnel violence.--The term ``law 
        enforcement personnel violence'' means a situation where a law 
        enforcement agent uses force.
            (4) Use force; uses force.--The terms ``use force'' and 
        ``uses force'' include pushing, grabbing, handcuffing, hitting, 
        kicking, using chemical or pepper spray, using an electroshock 
        weapon, pointing or shooting a gun, engaging in sexual assault, 
        and other acts that can cause bodily harm.
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