Major Changes Await in Mental Health Legislation: But Will They Be Enough?

Much like the nation’s infrastructure, our mental health system is in dire condition. Major changes are on the horizon as two mental health bills seem headed to votes on the floors of the House and the Senate. The question is: will they be enough? H.R. 2646—Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act introduced by Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA-18) was voted out of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health 53-0. With 205 co-sponsors, including 59 Democrats, the bill is a genuine bipartisan effort to make significant alterations to the nation’s mental health system. A related bill, S. 2680—Mental Health Reform Act of 2016, introduced by Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander and co-sponsored by Connecticut’s Chris Murphy passed through the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) by a voice vote. The House is expected to vote on H.R. 2646 when they return from the July 4^th recess this week.

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http://crispinc.org/2016/07/05/major-changes-await-in-mental-health-legislation-but-will-it-be-enough/