[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1700 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1700

To address mental health issues for youth, particularly youth of color, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 18, 2023

 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Carper, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Stabenow, Ms. 
 Smith, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Murphy, and Ms. 
    Warren) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To address mental health issues for youth, particularly youth of color, 
                        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 ``Pursuing Equity in Mental Health 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PRIMARY AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE GRANT PROGRAM.

    Section 520K of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-42) 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (d) through (i) as 
        subsections (e) through (j), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:
    ``(d) Special Consideration Regarding Services for Racial and 
Ethnic Minority Groups.--In awarding grants under subsection (b), the 
Secretary may, as appropriate, give special consideration to eligible 
entities serving a high proportion of racial and ethnic minority 
groups.'';
            (3) in subsection (c)(2)(G), by striking ``subsection (e)'' 
        and inserting ``subsection (f)'';
            (4) in subsection (h)--
                    (A) by striking ``subsection (f)'' and inserting 
                ``subsection (g)''; and
                    (B) by striking ``subsection (d)(2)'' and inserting 
                ``subsection (e)(2)''; and
            (5) in subsection (j)(1) (as redesignated by paragraph 
        (1)), by striking ``$60,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 
        through 2027'' and inserting ``$60,000,000 for fiscal year 2023 
        and $80,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2029''.

SEC. 3. ADDRESSING RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES 
              RESEARCH GAPS.

    Not later than 9 months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, in consultation 
with the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health and the 
Assistant Secretary of Substance Use and Mental 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)--
            (1) to conduct a study with respect to mental health 
        disparities research gaps in racial and ethnic minority groups 
        (as defined in section 1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 300u-6(g))); and
            (2) to submit to the Congress a report on the results of 
        such study, including--
                    (A) a compilation of information on the prevalence 
                of mental health outcomes in such racial and ethnic 
                minority groups; and
                    (B) an assessment of information on the impact of 
                exposure to community violence, adverse childhood 
                experiences, structural bias, and other psychological 
                traumas on mental health outcomes in such racial and 
                minority groups.

SEC. 4. HEALTH PROFESSIONS COMPETENCIES TO ADDRESS RACIAL AND ETHNIC 
              MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES.

    Section 597 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290ll) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections 
        (c) and (d), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
    ``(b) Best Practices; Core Competencies.--An individual or entity 
receiving a grant 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 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:
            ``(1) 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.
            ``(2) 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.
            ``(3) Dissemination and promotion of the use of best 
        practices or core competencies in undergraduate and graduate 
        health professions training programs nationwide.
            ``(4) Establishing external 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.''.

SEC. 5. RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY 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 inserting after section 552 (42 U.S.C. 290ee-7) 
of such Act the following:

``SEC. 554. BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH AND EDUCATION 
              STRATEGY.

    ``(a) In General.--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 use among 
racial and ethnic minority groups. Such strategy shall--
            ``(1) be designed to--
                    ``(A) meet the diverse cultural and language needs 
                of the various racial and ethnic minority groups; and
                    ``(B) be developmentally and age-appropriate;
            ``(2) increase awareness of symptoms of mental illnesses 
        common among such groups, taking into account differences 
        within at-risk subgroups;
            ``(3) provide information on evidence-based, culturally and 
        linguistically appropriate and adapted interventions and 
        treatments;
            ``(4) ensure full participation of, and engage, both 
        consumers and community members, which may include adolescents 
        and young adults, in the development and implementation of 
        materials; and
            ``(5) seek to broaden the perspective among both 
        individuals in these groups and communities serving these 
        groups to use a comprehensive and integrated public health 
        approach to promoting behavioral health by focusing on the 
        intersection between behavioral and physical health.
    ``(b) Reports.--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) addressed behavioral and mental health outcomes associated with 
mental health conditions and substance use among racial and ethnic 
minority groups.
    ``(c) Definition.--In this section, the term `racial and ethnic 
minority group' has the meaning given to that term in section 1707(g).
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2024 through 2029.''.

SEC. 6. ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.

    (a) In General.--In addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be 
appropriated to the National Institutes of Health, there is authorized 
to be appropriated to such Institutes $150,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2024 through 2029 to--
            (1) build relations with communities and conduct or support 
        clinical research, including clinical research on racial or 
        ethnic disparities in physical and mental health; and
            (2) to carry out the Strategic Framework For Addressing 
        Youth Mental Health Disparities developed by the National 
        Institute of Mental Health.
    (b) Definition.--In this section, the term ``clinical research'' 
has the meaning given to such term in section 409 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 284d).

SEC. 7. ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON MINORITY HEALTH AND 
              HEALTH DISPARITIES.

    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 $750,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2024 through 2029.

SEC. 8. TECHNICAL CORRECTION.

    Title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa et seq.) 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating the second section 550 (42 U.S.C. 
        290ee-10) (relating to Sobriety Treatment And Recovery Teams) 
        as section 553; and
            (2) by moving such section, as so redesignated, so as to 
        appear after section 552 (42 U.S.C. 290ee-7).
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