[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 63 (Friday, April 1, 2016)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 19015-19016]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07698]



[[Page 19013]]

Vol. 81

Friday,

No. 63

April 1, 2016

Part IV





The President





-----------------------------------------------------------------------



Memorandum of March 29, 2016--Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder 
Parity Task Force



Executive Order 13723--Establishing the Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal



Notice of March 30, 2016--Continuation of the National Emergency With 
Respect to South Sudan
 
 
                         Presidential Documents 
 
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 63 / Friday, April 1, 2016 / 
Presidential Documents  

 ___________________________________________________________________

 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 19015]]

                Memorandum of March 29, 2016

                
Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity 
                Task Force

                Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and 
                Agencies

                My Administration has made behavioral health a priority 
                and taken a number of steps to improve the prevention, 
                early intervention, and treatment of mental health and 
                substance use disorders. These actions are especially 
                important in light of the prescription drug abuse and 
                heroin epidemic as well as the suicide and substance 
                use-related fatalities that have reversed increases in 
                longevity in certain populations. One important 
                response has been the expansion and implementation of 
                mental health and substance use disorder parity 
                protections to ensure that coverage for these benefits 
                is comparable to coverage for medical and surgical 
                care. The Affordable Care Act builds on the Paul 
                Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and 
                Addiction Equity Act to expand mental health and 
                substance use disorder benefits and Federal parity 
                protections for more than 60 million Americans. To 
                realize the promise of coverage expansion and parity 
                protections in helping individuals with mental health 
                and substance use disorders, executive departments and 
                agencies need to work together to ensure that Americans 
                are benefiting from the Federal parity protections the 
                law intends. To that end, I hereby direct the 
                following:

                Section 1. Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder 
                Parity Task Force. There is established an interagency 
                Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Task 
                Force (Task Force), which will identify and promote 
                best practices for executive departments and agencies 
                (agencies), as well as State agencies, to better ensure 
                compliance with and implementation of requirements 
                related to mental health and substance use disorder 
                parity, and determine areas that would benefit from 
                further guidance. The Director of the Domestic Policy 
                Council shall serve as Chair of the Task Force.

                    (a) Membership of the Task Force. In addition to 
                the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, the Task 
                Force shall consist of the heads of the following 
                agencies and offices, or their designees:

(i) the Department of the Treasury;

(ii) the Department of Defense;

(iii) the Department of Justice;

(iv) the Department of Labor;

(v) the Department of Health and Human Services;

(vi) the Department of Veterans Affairs;

(vii) the Office of Personnel Management;

(viii) the Office of National Drug Control Policy; and

(ix) such other agencies or offices as the President may designate.

                At the request of the Chair, the Task Force may 
                establish subgroups consisting exclusively of Task 
                Force members or their designees under this section, as 
                appropriate.

                    (b) Administration of the Task Force. The 
                Department of Health and Human Services shall provide 
                funding and administrative support for the Task Force 
                to the extent permitted by law and within existing 
                appropriations.

                Sec. 2. Mission and Functions of the Task Force. The 
                Task Force shall coordinate across agencies to:

[[Page 19016]]

                    (a) identify and promote best practices for 
                compliance and implementation;
                    (b) identify and address gaps in guidance, 
                particularly with regard to substance use disorder 
                parity; and
                    (c) implement actions during its tenure and at its 
                conclusion to advance parity in mental health and 
                substance use disorder treatment.

                Sec. 3. Outreach. Consistent with the objectives set 
                out in section 2 of this memorandum, the Task Force, in 
                accordance with applicable law, shall conduct outreach 
                to patients, consumer advocates, health care providers, 
                specialists in mental health care and substance use 
                disorder treatment, employers, insurers, State 
                regulators, and other stakeholders as the Task Force 
                deems appropriate.

                Sec. 4. Transparency and Reports. The Task Force shall 
                present to the President a report before October 31, 
                2016, on its findings and recommendations, which shall 
                be made public.

                Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) The heads of agencies 
                shall assist and provide information to the Task Force, 
                consistent with applicable law, as may be necessary to 
                carry out the functions of the Task Force.

                    (b) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed 
                to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the 
head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                    (c) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent 
                with applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.
                    (d) This memorandum is not intended to, and does 
                not, create any right or benefit, substantive or 
                procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any 
                party against the United States, its departments, 
                agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or 
                agents, or any other person.
                    (e) The Secretary of Health and Human Services is 
                authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in 
                the Federal Register.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    Washington, March 29, 2016

[FR Doc. 2016-07698
Filed 3-31-16; 11:15 am]
Billing code 4150-42-P