[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8470 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8470
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make awards
to increase or improve access to comprehensive mental and behavioral
health services for individuals exposed to violent encounters involving
law enforcement personnel, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 21, 2024
Ms. Bush (for herself, Mr. Bowman, Mr. Carson, Mr. Garcia of Illinois,
Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Ramirez, Ms. Tlaib, and
Mrs. Watson Coleman) introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the
Committees on Education and the Workforce, and the Judiciary, 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
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make awards
to increase or improve access to comprehensive mental and behavioral
health services for individuals exposed to violent encounters involving
law enforcement personnel, 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 ``Helping Families Heal Act of
2024''.
SEC. 2. HELPING FAMILIES HEAL PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in
this section referred to as the ``Secretary''), acting through the
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall carry
out a program, to be known as the Helping Families Heal Program,
consisting of awarding grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements to
eligible entities to--
(1) recruit, hire, train, and dispatch mental health
professionals and community health workers to provide
comprehensive mental health services to individuals who have
suffered traumatic experiences, or are in grief, in
bereavement, or at risk of suicide or violence, as a result
of--
(A) witnessing or experiencing law enforcement
personnel violence;
(B) the death of a family member due to law
enforcement personnel violence; or
(C) the death of a colleague or neighbor due to law
enforcement personnel violence;
(2) implement community-based mental health programs that--
(A) build awareness of individual, community, and
intergenerational trauma as a result of witnessing or
experiencing law enforcement personnel violence;
(B) train staff and volunteers to identify, and
screen for, signs of trauma exposure, mental health
disorders, and risk of suicide in the wake of law
enforcement personnel violence;
(C) incorporate community interventions, family
engagement, and intergenerational counseling that
encourage the development of positive mental health,
prevent mental health disorders, and diminish the
impact of trauma resulting from law enforcement
personnel violence;
(D) facilitate partnerships among families, mental
health and substance use disorder providers, family-
based mental health and substance use disorder
providers, trauma networks, and health care providers
(including mental health professionals and community
health workers who specialize in pediatric services);
and
(E) establish mechanisms for individuals who have
witnessed or experienced law enforcement personnel
violence to report incidents of violence or plans to
commit violence; or
(3) provide technical assistance to community-based
organizations regarding the activities described in paragraphs
(1) and (2).
(b) Duration of Awards.--The duration of a grant, contract, or
cooperative agreement awarded under subsection (a) shall be no longer
than 1 year.
(c) Additional Awards.--Subject to the availability of funds, the
Secretary shall make an additional award of grants, contracts, or
cooperative agreements under subsection (a) each fiscal year through
fiscal year 2029 to each recipient of an award under subsection (a)
that demonstrates that its award resulted in a substantial increase in
the number of individuals provided with mental health services who have
witnessed or experienced law enforcement personnel violence.
(d) Priority.--In awarding grants, contracts, and cooperative
agreements under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to
eligible entities in communities that--
(1) have high rates of interaction with law enforcement
personnel for residents;
(2) have been or are currently subject to a Federal or
State investigation regarding racial bias in the use of force
by law enforcement personnel;
(3) have high rates of arrest and incarceration of persons
with mental illness, intellectual disability, or developmental
disability; or
(4) commit to providing in-kind contributions from non-
Federal sources, or volunteer hours, for individuals served by
recipients of awards under this section.
(e) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant, contract, or
cooperative agreement under subsection (a), an entity shall be--
(1) a community-based mental health care or substance use
disorder provider, including a public or private mental health
entity, health care entity, family-based mental health entity,
or trauma network; or
(2) a community-based organization or nonprofit
organization as determined appropriate by the Secretary.
(f) Limitation.--The Secretary may not award any funds under this
section to a law enforcement or child protective services entity.
(g) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to limit the applicability of the regulations under section
264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of
1996 (42 U.S.C. 1320d-2 note) to any patient records developed by
covered entities through activities funded through an award under this
section.
(h) Geographical Distribution.--The Secretary shall ensure that
recipients of grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements under
subsection (a) are distributed equitably among the regions of the
country and among urban and rural areas.
(i) Evaluation and Measures of Outcomes.--
(1) Development of process.--The Secretary shall develop a
fiscally appropriate process for evaluating activities carried
out pursuant to an award under this section. Such process shall
include--
(A) the development of guidelines for the
submission of program data by grant, contract, and
cooperative agreement recipients;
(B) the application by such recipients of measures
of outcomes developed under paragraph (2) to the
programs funded through such awards; and
(C) the submission of annual reports by such
recipients concerning the effectiveness of programs
funded through such awards.
(2) Measures of outcomes.--The Secretary shall develop
measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients of awards
under this section to evaluate the effectiveness of activities
funded through such awards.
(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2025 through 2029.
SEC. 3. HEALING FOR STUDENTS PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in
this section referred to as the ``Secretary''), acting through the
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall carry
out a program, to be known as the Healing for Students Program,
consisting of awarding grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to
eligible entities to--
(1) recruit, hire, train, and dispatch mental health
professionals and community health workers to provide
comprehensive mental health services to students and school
personnel who have suffered traumatic experiences, or are in
grief, in bereavement, or at risk of suicide or violence, as a
result of--
(A) witnessing or experiencing law enforcement
personnel violence;
(B) the death of a family member due to law
enforcement personnel violence; or
(C) the death of a colleague or neighbor due to law
enforcement personnel violence;
(2) implement school-based mental health programs that--
(A) build awareness of individual, community, and
intergenerational trauma as a result of witnessing or
experiencing law enforcement personnel violence;
(B) train school personnel to identify, and screen
for, signs of trauma exposure, mental health disorders,
and risk of suicide in the wake of law enforcement
personnel violence;
(C) incorporate family engagement, student
supports, and intergenerational counseling that
encourage the development of positive mental health,
prevent mental health disorders, and diminish the
impact of trauma resulting from law enforcement
personnel violence;
(D) educate students and their families on the
stigma surrounding mental health;
(E) facilitate partnerships among families,
students, mental health and substance use disorder
providers, family-based mental health and substance use
disorder providers, trauma networks, and health care
providers (including mental health professionals and
community health workers who specialize in pediatric
services); and
(F) establish mechanisms for students and school
personnel who have witnessed or experienced law
enforcement personnel violence to report incidents of
violence or plans to commit violence; or
(3) in the case of a grantee that is a local educational
agency or a consortium of local educational agencies, provide
technical assistance to schools regarding the activities
described in paragraphs (1) and (2).
(b) Duration of Awards.--The duration of a grant, contract, or
cooperative agreement awarded under subsection (a) shall be no longer
than 1 year.
(c) Additional Awards.--Subject to the availability of funds, the
Secretary shall make an additional award of grants, contracts, or
cooperative agreements under subsection (a) each fiscal year through
fiscal year 2029 to each recipient of an award under subsection (a)
that demonstrates that its award resulted in a substantial increase in
the number of individuals provided with mental health services who have
witnessed or experienced law enforcement personnel violence.
(d) Priority.--In awarding grants, contracts, and cooperative
agreements under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to
eligible entities serving communities that--
(1) have high rates of interaction with law enforcement
personnel for residents;
(2) have been or are currently subject to a Federal or
State investigation regarding racial bias in the use of force
by law enforcement personnel;
(3) have high rates of arrest and incarceration of persons
with mental illness, intellectual disability, or developmental
disability; or
(4) commit to providing in-kind contributions from non-
Federal sources, or volunteer hours, for students and school
personnel served by recipients of awards under this section.
(e) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant, contract, or
cooperative agreement under subsection (a), an entity shall be--
(1) a local educational agency serving elementary schools
and secondary schools;
(2) a consortium of such local educational agencies; or
(3) an elementary school or secondary school.
(f) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to limit the applicability of the regulations under section
264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of
1996 (42 U.S.C. 1320d-2 note) to any patient records developed by
covered entities through activities funded through an award under this
section.
(g) Geographical Distribution.--The Secretary shall ensure that
recipients of grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements under
subsection (a) are distributed equitably among the regions of the
country and among urban and rural areas.
(h) Evaluation and Measures of Outcomes.--
(1) Development of process.--The Secretary shall develop a
fiscally appropriate process for evaluating activities carried
out pursuant to an award under this section. Such process shall
include--
(A) the development of guidelines for the
submission of program data by grant, contract, and
cooperative agreement recipients;
(B) the application by such recipients of measures
of outcomes developed under paragraph (2) to the
programs funded through such awards; and
(C) the submission of annual reports by such
recipients concerning the effectiveness of programs
funded through such awards.
(2) Measures of outcomes.--The Secretary shall develop
measures of outcomes to be applied by recipients of awards
under this section to evaluate the effectiveness of activities
funded through such awards.
(i) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``elementary school'',
``local educational agency'', and ``secondary school'' have the
meanings given to such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2025 through 2029.
SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, the
Secretary of Education, and the Attorney General, acting jointly, shall
establish a permanent interagency task force (referred to in this
section as the ``Task Force'') to coordinate and promote holistic,
qualified responses to victims of law enforcement personnel violence.
(b) Members.--The Task Force shall be composed of the following
members:
(1) The Secretary of Health and Human Services (or the
Secretary's designee).
(2) The Secretary of Education (or the Secretary's
designee).
(3) The Attorney General of the United States (or the
Attorney General's designee).
(4) The heads of other Federal departments and agencies (or
their designees), as determined necessary by the Secretary of
Health and Human Services.
(c) Duties.--The Task Force shall--
(1) solicit regular and detailed input from stakeholders,
including victims of law enforcement personnel violence and
their families, students, educators, mental health
professionals, community health workers, researchers, experts
in infant, child, and youth trauma, and the public;
(2) recommend mechanisms for the Department of Health and
Human Services, the Department of Education, and the Department
of Justice to collect and review statistical data about
interactions with law enforcement personnel;
(3) identify options for coordinating existing grants that
support people who have experienced law enforcement personnel
violence;
(4) recommend other ways to improve coordination, planning,
and communication within and across Federal agencies, offices,
and programs, to better serve people who have experienced law
enforcement personnel violence; and
(5) facilitate ongoing efforts to streamline the
application, monitoring, and reporting processes to make
Federal funds provided pursuant to awards under this Act and
other similar existing grants maximally accessible to small,
grassroots organizations that support communities acutely
impacted by high rates of law enforcement personnel violence.
(d) Meetings.--For the purpose of carrying out this section, the
Task Force may hold such meetings, and sit and act at such times and
places, as the Task Force considers appropriate.
(e) Information.--The Task Force may secure directly from any
Federal agency such information as may be necessary to enable the Task
Force to carry out this section. Upon request of the Chairperson of the
Task Force, the head of such agency shall furnish such information to
the Task Force.
(f) Reports.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the first
meeting of the Task Force, and at least once every 2 years thereafter,
the Task Force shall--
(1) submit to the general public, the heads of relevant
Federal departments and agencies other than those represented
on the Task Force, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the
Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Education and
the Workforce of the House of Representatives, and the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the
Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, a report containing
all of the findings and recommendations required under this
section; and
(2) make such report available online in an accessible
format.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Community health worker.--The term ``community health
worker'' means a frontline public health worker who--
(A) is a trusted member of, or has a close
understanding of, the community served, enabling the
worker to serve as a link between health and social
services and the community, so as to facilitate access
to services and improve the quality and cultural
competence of service delivery; and
(B) builds individual and community capacity by
increasing health knowledge and self-