[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 29, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H5016-H5017]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS FROM THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT ACT OF
2020
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2519) to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human
Services, acting through the Director of the Center for Mental Health
Services of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, to award grants to implement innovative approaches to
securing prompt access to appropriate follow-on care for individuals
who experience an acute mental health episode and present for care in
an emergency department, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2519
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 ``Improving Mental Health
Access from the Emergency Department Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. SECURING APPROPRIATE FOLLOW-ON CARE FOR ACUTE MENTAL
HEALTH ILLNESS AFTER AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
ENCOUNTER.
The Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after
section 520J of such Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-31) the following
new section:
``SEC. 520J-1. SECURING APPROPRIATE FOLLOW-ON CARE FOR ACUTE
MENTAL HEALTH ILLNESS AFTER AN EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENT ENCOUNTER.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary may award grants on a
competitive basis to qualifying health providers to implement
innovative approaches to securing prompt access to
appropriate follow-on care for individuals who experience an
acute mental health episode and present for care in an
emergency department.
``(b) Eligible Grant Recipients.--In this section, the term
`qualifying health provider' means a health care facility
licensed under applicable law that--
``(1) has an emergency department;
``(2) is staffed by medical personnel (such as emergency
physicians, psychiatrists, psychiatric registered nurses,
mental health technicians, clinical social workers,
psychologists, and therapists) capable of providing treatment
focused on stabilizing acute mental health conditions and
assisting patients to access resources to continue treatment
in the least restrictive appropriate setting; and
``(3) has arrangements in place with other providers of
care that can provide a full range of medically appropriate,
evidence-based services for the treatment of acute mental
health episodes.
``(c) Use of Funds.--A qualifying health provider receiving
funds under this section shall use such funds to create,
support, or expand programs or projects intended to assist
individuals who are treated at the provider's emergency
department for acute mental health episodes and to
expeditiously transition such individuals to an appropriate
facility or setting for follow-on care. Such use of funds may
support the following:
``(1) Expediting placement in appropriate facilities
through activities such as expanded coordination with
regional service providers, assessment, peer navigators, bed
availability tracking and management, transfer protocol
development, networking infrastructure development, and
transportation services.
``(2) Increasing the supply of inpatient psychiatric beds
and alternative care settings such as regional emergency
psychiatric facilities.
``(3) Use of alternative approaches to providing
psychiatric care in the emergency department setting,
including through tele-psychiatric support and other remote
psychiatric consultation, implementation of peak period
crisis clinics, or creation of psychiatric emergency service
units.
``(4) Use of approaches that include proactive followup
such as telephone check-ins, telemedicine, or other
technology-based outreach to individuals during the period of
transition.
``(5) Such other activities as are determined by the
Secretary to be appropriate, consistent with subsection (a).
``(d) Application.--A qualifying health provider desiring a
grant under this section shall prepare and submit an
application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner
as the Secretary may require. At a minimum, the application
shall include the following:
``(1) A description of identified need for acute mental
health services in the provider's service area.
``(2) A description of the existing efforts of the provider
to meet the need for acute mental health services in the
service area, and identified gaps in the provision of such
services.
``(3) A description of the proposed use of funds to meet
the need and gaps identified pursuant to paragraph (2).
``(4) A description of how the provider will coordinate
efforts with Federal, State, local, and private entities
within the service area.
``(5) A description of program objectives, how the
objectives are proposed to be met, and how the provider will
evaluate outcomes relative to objectives.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this
section, there is authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 2519.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today in support of H.R. 2519, the Improving Mental Health
Access from the Emergency Department Act of 2020.
I thank Representative Raul Ruiz, a member of our committee, and his
staff for their work on this important legislation. As an emergency
room physician himself, Dr. Ruiz knows firsthand the needs of both the
medical professional and the patients in the ER.
One of these increasing needs is support for mental health services.
Research has shown that one in every eight emergency department visits
in the U.S. is related to a mental health issue. Since 2009, mental
health emergency room visits have substantially increased, most of
which were driven by adolescents and young adults.
This is especially concerning, given recent data from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention that found that, in 2019, more than one
in seven Americans experienced some level of anxiety and nearly one in
five reported depression.
These studies were conducted before COVID-19, and we know that this
pandemic is likely to have both long- and short-term implications for
mental health, and this anticipated increase in need is reason to act
now. H.R. 2519 would help to provide increased access to care for
people who report to the emergency department for acute mental health
episodes.
Under the bill, the Secretary of Health and Human Services is
authorized to award grants to support innovative approaches for
providing follow-on care for individuals treated in the emergency
department for acute mental health issues. This includes increasing the
number of inpatient psychiatric beds and alternative care settings,
supporting a patient's transition to appropriate mental health
services, or the use of telepsychiatric support or other remote
psychiatric consultation methods.
Madam Speaker, emergency departments can sometimes feel like a
stressful place, especially for people in crisis; however, they are
often the last remaining safety net in many communities. We know that
follow-up care for people with mental illness is linked to fewer repeat
emergency room visits and improved mental and physical health. Let's do
our part to support the emergency room staff and patients in need.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WALDEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 2519. This is the Improving Mental Health
Access from the Emergency Department Act of 2020 sponsored by our
colleague from California, Dr. Ruiz.
The bill authorizes Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration award grants to emergency departments for the purpose of
supporting follow-up services to patients who present in the emergency
department experiencing a mental health crisis.
Now, according to SAMHSA's National Guidelines for Behavioral Health
Crisis Care, there is a disconnect in the provision of follow-up
services regarding what comes next for a patient experiencing a mental
health crisis in an emergency department. If a patient comes in with
appendicitis, the emergency physician can call a surgeon. If the
patient has a rash, the emergency department has a roster of
dermatologists and clinics, and, in many cases, the physician can even
make an appointment for that patient.
[[Page H5017]]
Sadly, tragically, these same partnerships don't always exist if the
patient has mental health issues. By authorizing grants to support
programs that help those treated at the emergency department
expeditiously transition to follow-up care, this bill would remove
those barriers to care for those who experience an acute mental health
crisis. And we think it will reduce the stigma, and, ultimately, it
will save lives.
I ask my colleagues to join us in supporting this legislation.
Madam Speaker, I don't believe we have any other speakers on this
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I urge support of the legislation, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2519, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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