HR-4435 : Still Just a Bill


Comprehensive Behavioral Health Reform and Recovery Act of 2016

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to revise Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) authorities, oversight, and programs, including to establish various grant programs.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Education must: (1) organize a national awareness campaign regarding serious mental illness, and (2) support a public health approach to mental health services.

This bill amends the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act to require HHS to carry out activities regarding disclosure of the protected health information of individuals with mental or substance use disorders.

This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to require state Medicaid plans to cover specified services, including same day primary care and mental health care services.

Title XVIII (Medicare) of the SSAct is revised, including to eliminate the lifetime limit on inpatient psychiatric hospital services.

HHS must award grants for programs and services, including telehealth services provided by psychiatrists or psychologists.

The bill provides liability protection to certain health professional volunteers.

HHS must maintain a Minority Fellowship Program for mental and substance use disorder treatment professionals to improve services for racial and ethnic minority populations.

The bill makes occupational therapists eligible for the National Health Service Corps.

The bill revises provisions regarding parity between mental health and substance use disorder benefits and medical and surgical benefits.

This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act, including to require practitioners to complete training before dispensing opioids, which are drugs with effects similar to opium, such as certain pain medications.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must provide support to entities to improve drug overdose surveillance and reporting.

HHS must establish a loan repayment program for substance use disorder health professionals.

Action Timeline

Action DateTypeTextSource
2016-02-10CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular and Alaska Native Affairs.House committee actions
2016-02-10CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Health.House committee actions
2016-02-05CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Health.House committee actions
2016-02-02IntroReferralReferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.House floor actions
2016-02-02IntroReferralReferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.House floor actions
2016-02-02IntroReferralReferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.House floor actions
2016-02-02IntroReferralReferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.House floor actions
2016-02-02IntroReferralReferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.House floor actions
2016-02-02IntroReferralIntroduced in HouseLibrary of Congress

Policy Area :

Health
Related Subjects
  • Accounting and auditing
  • Administrative law and regulatory procedures
  • Administrative remedies
  • Advisory bodies
  • Aging
  • Child health
  • Civil actions and liability
  • Community life and organization
  • Congressional oversight
  • Correctional facilities and imprisonment
  • Disability and health-based discrimination
  • Drug therapy
  • Drug trafficking and controlled substances
  • Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
  • Education programs funding
  • Elementary and secondary education
  • Emergency medical services and trauma care
  • Employee benefits and pensions
  • Executive agency funding and structure
  • Family services
  • Government information and archives
  • Government liability
  • Government studies and investigations
  • Health care costs and insurance
  • Health care coverage and access
  • Health care quality
  • Health facilities and institutions
  • Health information and medical records
  • Health personnel
  • Health programs administration and funding
  • Health promotion and preventive care
  • Health technology, devices, supplies
  • Higher education
  • Home and outpatient care
  • Homelessness and emergency shelter
  • Hospital care
  • Indian social and development programs
  • Juvenile crime and gang violence
  • Lawyers and legal services
  • Licensing and registrations
  • Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
  • Medicaid
  • Medical education
  • Medical tests and diagnostic methods
  • Medicare
  • Mental health
  • Minority health
  • Neurological disorders
  • Nursing
  • Prescription drugs
  • Research administration and funding
  • Right of privacy
  • Rural conditions and development
  • School administration
  • Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
  • Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
  • State and local government operations
  • Student aid and college costs
  • Teaching, teachers, curricula
  • Violent crime
  • Women's health
Related Geographic Entities
Related Organizations
  • Department of Health and Human Services
  • Department of Labor
  • Department of the Treasury
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)