119-hr2904

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2904 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 2904

To address mental health issues for youth, particularly youth of color, 
 and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 10, 2025

Mrs. Watson Coleman (for herself, Ms. Norton, Mr. Fields, Mr. Thanedar, 
Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, 
 Mr. Carson, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mrs. McIver, Mr. Carter of 
 Louisiana, and Mr. Bell) introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To address mental health issues for youth, particularly youth of color, 
 and for other purposes.

 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 ``Pursuing Equity in Mental Health 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PRIMARY AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE GRANT PROGRAM.

 

Section 520K of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb-42) 
is amended--

    (1) by redesignating subsections
            (d) through
            (i) as 
 subsections

    (e) through

    (j) , respectively;

    (2) by inserting after subsection
            (c) the following:
 ``
            (d) Special Consideration Regarding Services for Racial and 
Ethnic Minority Groups.--In awarding grants under subsection

    (b) , the 
Secretary may, as appropriate, give special consideration to eligible 
entities serving a high proportion of racial and ethnic minority 
groups.'';

    (3) in subsection
            (c) (2)
        (G) , by striking ``subsection

    (e) '' 
 and inserting ``subsection

    (f) '';

    (4) in subsection
            (i) (as redesignated by paragraph

    (1) )--
        (A) by striking ``subsection

    (f) '' and inserting 
 ``subsection

    (g) ''; and
        (B) by striking ``subsection
            (d) (2) '' and inserting 
 ``subsection

    (e)

    (2) ''; and

    (5) in subsection

    (j)

    (1) (as redesignated by paragraph

    (1) ), by striking ``$60,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 
 through 2027'' and inserting ``$60,000,000 for fiscal year 2025 
 and $80,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031''.

SEC. 3. ADDRESSING RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES 
 RESEARCH GAPS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 9 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institutes of 
Health, in consultation with the Director of the National Institute of 
Mental Health, the Director of the National Institute on Minority 
Health and Health Disparities, and the Assistant Secretary for Mental 
Health and Substance Use, shall seek to enter into an arrangement with 
the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (or, if 
the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine decline 
to enter into such an arrangement, the Patient-Centered Outcomes 
Research Institute or another appropriate entity) under which the 
National Academies (or such other appropriate entity, as the case may 
be) agrees--

    (1) to conduct a study with respect to mental health 
 disparities research gaps in racial and ethnic minority groups 
 (as defined in 

section 1707

    (g) of the Public Health Service Act 
 (42 U.S.C. 300u-6

    (g) )); and

    (2) to submit to Congress a report on the results of such 
 study, including--
        (A) a compilation of information on the prevalence 
 of mental health outcomes in such racial and ethnic 
 minority groups;
        (B) an assessment of information on the impact of 
 exposure to community violence, adverse childhood 
 experiences, structural bias, and other psychological 
 traumas on mental health outcomes in such racial and 
 minority groups; and
            (C) a selection of potential recommendations that 
 can remedy the research gap in such racial and ethnic 
 minority groups.

    (b) Study and Report Conducted by AHRQ.--If no arrangement can be 
made with an entity specified in subsection

    (a) , the Director of the 
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shall conduct the study and 
submit the report, as described in paragraphs

    (1) and

    (2) of such 
subsection.

SEC. 4. HEALTH PROFESSIONS COMPETENCIES TO ADDRESS RACIAL AND ETHNIC 
 MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES.

 

Section 597 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290ll) is 
amended--

    (1) by redesignating subsections

    (b) and
            (c) as subsections
            (c) and
            (d) , respectively;

    (2) by inserting after subsection

    (a) the following:
 ``

    (b) Best Practices; Core Competencies.--An individual receiving a 
fellowship under subsection

    (a) , or an entity selected by the Assistant 
Secretary to administer the program under this section, may use amounts 
awarded under this section to engage in the following activities 
related to the development and dissemination of best practices or core 
competencies addressing mental health disparities among racial and 
ethnic minority groups for use in the training of students in the 
professions of social work, psychology, psychiatry, addiction medicine, 
marriage and family therapy, mental health counseling, and substance 
misuse counseling:
 ``

    (1) Formation of committees or working groups comprised 
 of experts from accredited health professions schools to 
 identify best practices and core competencies relating to 
 mental health disparities among racial and ethnic minority 
 groups.
 ``

    (2) Planning of workshops in national fora to allow for 
 public input into the educational needs associated with mental 
 health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups.
 ``

    (3) Dissemination and promotion of the use of best 
 practices or core competencies in undergraduate and graduate 
 health professions training programs nationwide.
 ``

    (4) Establishing external advisory boards to provide 
 meaningful input into policy and program development and best 
 practices to reduce mental health disparities among racial and 
 ethnic minority groups.''; and

    (3) in subsection
            (d) (as so redesignated), by striking 
 ``2027'' and inserting ``2031''.

SEC. 5. RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH 
 OUTREACH AND EDUCATION STRATEGY.

 Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290dd 
et seq.) is amended by inserting after 

section 553 (42 U.S.C. 290ee-10) 
of such Act the following:

``

SEC. 554. BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH AND EDUCATION 
 STRATEGY.

 ``

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall, in consultation with 
advocacy and behavioral and mental health organizations serving racial 
and ethnic minority groups, develop and implement an outreach and 
education strategy to promote behavioral and mental health and reduce 
stigma associated with mental health conditions and substance use among 
racial and ethnic minority groups. Such strategy shall--
 ``

    (1) be designed to--
 ``
        (A) meet the diverse cultural and language needs 
 of the various racial and ethnic minority groups; and
 ``
        (B) be developmentally and age-appropriate;
 ``

    (2) increase awareness of symptoms of mental illnesses 
 common among such groups, taking into account differences 
 within at-risk subgroups;
 ``

    (3) provide information on evidence-based, culturally and 
 linguistically appropriate and adapted interventions and 
 treatments;
 ``

    (4) ensure full participation of, and engage, both 
 individuals receiving behavioral and mental health services and 
 other community members, which may include adolescents and 
 young adults, in the development and implementation of 
 materials; and
 ``

    (5) seek to broaden the perspective among both 
 individuals in racial and ethnic minority groups and 
 communities serving such groups to use a comprehensive and 
 integrated public health approach to promoting behavioral 
 health by focusing on the intersection between behavioral and 
 physical health.
 ``

    (b) Reports.--Beginning not later than 1 year after the date of 
the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter for 5 years, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress, and make publicly available, a 
report on the extent to which the strategy developed and implemented 
under subsection

    (a) addressed behavioral and mental health outcomes 
associated with mental health conditions and substance use among racial 
and ethnic minority groups.
 ``
            (c) === Definition. ===
-In this section, the term `racial and ethnic 
minority group' has the meaning given to that term in 

section 1707

    (g) .
 ``
            (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2026 through 2031.''.

SEC. 6. ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.

    (a) In General.--In addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be 
appropriated to the National Institutes of Health, there is authorized 
to be appropriated to such Institutes $150,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2026 through 2031 to--

    (1) build relations with communities and conduct or support 
 clinical research, including clinical research on racial or 
 ethnic disparities in physical and mental health; and

    (2) to carry out the Strategic Framework For Addressing 
 Youth Mental Health Disparities developed by the National 
 Institute of Mental Health.

    (b) 

=== Definition. ===
-In this section, the term ``clinical research'' 
has the meaning given to such term in 

section 409 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 284d).

SEC. 7. ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON MINORITY HEALTH AND 
 HEALTH DISPARITIES.

 In addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated to 
the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, there 
is authorized to be appropriated to such Institute $750,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031.
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