[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9669 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9669
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through
the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to
establish a 5-year pilot program under which the Secretary will award
grants to eligible entities for purposes of expanding forensic
assertive community treatment team programs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 14, 2026
Ms. Adams (for herself, Ms. Clarke of New York, and Mr. Carson)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce
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A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through
the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to
establish a 5-year pilot program under which the Secretary will award
grants to eligible entities for purposes of expanding forensic
assertive community treatment team programs.
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 ``Forensic Assertive Community
Treatment Pilot Program Act'' or the ``FACT Pilot Program Act''.
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT STATE AND LOCAL FORENSIC ASSERTIVE
COMMUNITY TREATMENT PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--
(1) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental
Health and Substance Use (in this section referred to as the
``Secretary''), shall establish a 5-year pilot program under
which the Secretary will award grants to eligible entities to
enable such entities to, directly, or through a subgrant to a
nonprofit organization, licensed mental health treatment
agency, a local management care entity/managed care
organization, or any other entity the Secretary considers
appropriate, expand the forensic assertive community treatment
team programs carried out in the respective jurisdiction of the
eligible entity to enable such entity to serve more community
members.
(2) Definitions.--In this subsection:
(A) The term ``eligible entity'' means a State or a
local government that, as of the date of the enactment
of this Act, is carrying out, or is partnering with, a
forensic assertive community treatment team program
within the respective State or locality or localities
served by the local government.
(B) The term ``forensic assertive community
treatment team program'' means a program--
(i) with a small client-to-team ratio under
which around the clock, time-unlimited care and
intensive, field-based services, including
mental health care, addiction treatment,
vocational training, and housing assistance,
are provided to individuals with serious mental
illness, who may have co-occurring substance
use and physical health disorders, and who are
involved with the criminal justice system;
(ii) that maintains fidelity with the
Assertive Community Treatment model, while
incorporating adaptions that address the
criminogenic risk and needs of the individuals
described in clause (i); and
(iii) in which such services are provided
by a multidisciplinary team of providers that
includes--
(I) representatives from the field
of psychiatry (including psychiatric
nursing);
(II) specialists in employment and
substance use services;
(III) a criminal justice partner
(such as a member of local law
enforcement, a provider of pretrial
services, or a probation or parole
officer); and
(IV) one or more forensic peer
specialists living with serious mental
illness or a co-occurring disorder who
have personal experience with criminal
justice system involvement.
(C) The term ``involved with the criminal justice
system'' means to have had contact with law
enforcement, the courts, or correctional systems. Such
term includes involvement at any stage, including
arrest, pre-trial services, incarcerated in jail or
prison, incarcerated in jail or prison and pending
imminent release, recently released from incarceration
or a forensic hospital setting, probation, parole, or
other forms of community supervision.
(3) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection such sums as
may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2032.
(b) Study and Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall seek to enter
into an agreement under which the National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, shall conduct a study
which shall--
(A) recommend defined and measurable metrics of
effectiveness that the Secretary and other Federal
agencies may use in evaluating programs, including
metrics measuring--
(i) the reduction in recidivism,
psychiatric hospitalizations, emergency
department utilization, and reoccurring
hospitalization and the associated costs;
(ii) the reduction in time it takes for an
at-risk individual to access stable housing;
(iii) the reduction in the time it takes
for an at-risk individual to access mental
health services;
(iv) the improvement in mental health
outcomes;
(v) any increase in community connection
and reintegration; and
(vi) improvement in overall public safety;
(B) identify key mechanisms of model fidelity that
can be recognized despite the variation between local
and State programs and justice systems and identify
model fidelity metrics for use in future evaluations;
(C) develop policy proposals that can be made at
the Federal and State level to scale up existing
programs and infrastructure, with attention to
implementation considerations;
(D) provide an implementation framework for States
and localities interested in starting new forensic
assertive community treatment team programs, with
attention to the unique needs for adaptation in rural
communities;
(E) provide a cost estimate for the development and
implementation of such policy proposals;
(F) provide a cost-savings and benefits analysis of
the program model, including the impact on health care
and justice systems; and
(G) provide recommendations to the Secretary for
the improvement and implementation of such model.
(2) Submission to secretary.--The agreement entered into
under paragraph (1) shall require the National Academies, not
later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this
Act, to submit to the Secretary and to Congress a report
containing the findings of the study conducted under such
agreement.
(3) Publication.--Not later than 60 days after the
submission of the report under paragraph (2), the Secretary
shall--
(A) publish such report on the public website of
the Department of Health and Human Services; and
(B) distribute such report to State and local
governments.
(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this subsection $1,500,000, to
remain available until expended.
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