Congressional Legislation
Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2009
Bill # S.700/H.R. 1708
Original Sponsor:
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) in the Senate
Gene Green (D-TX) in the House
Cosponsor Total:
Senate: 3
House: 31
About This Legislation:
5/25/2009—Introduced in the House and the Senate.
Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) and Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) have introduced the Ending Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2009 (H.R. 1708 and S.700), which would phase down the two-year waiting period that Social Security Disability Insurance recipients currently have to endure in order to become eligible for Medicare coverage. This is an issue that has been highlighted by APA leadership at a recent White House health forum and by member advocates during our 2009 Advocacy Day member visits to Capitol Hill. An estimated 1.5 million people with disabilities, including severe and persistent mental illness, are caught up in this wait period. Up to 40 percent of these individuals do not currently have health coverage. For more information please visit this link.
Congressional Legislation
Veterans Mental Health Screening and Assessment Act
Bill # H.R. 1308
Original Sponsor:
Michael McMahon (D-NY)
Cosponsor Total: 17
About This Legislation:
3/4/2009—Introduced.
Veterans Mental Health Screening and Assessment Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the increasing rate of suicide among veterans returning from Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom is a serious problem; and (2) the Secretary of Defense should conduct mandatory, face-to-face, and confidential mental health and traumatic brain injury screenings for each member of the Armed Forces (member) during the period beginning 90 days after the member completes a deployment in support of a contingency operation and ending 180 days thereafter.
Directs the Secretary to carry out such screenings. Prohibits the Secretary from prohibiting a member from returning to the United States due to any screening result or determination.
Requires the Secretary and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a joint protocol to share existing and future reports from confidential screenings conducted to help aid members in their transition from health care and treatment provided by the Department of Defense (DOD) to health care and treatment provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Congressional Legislation
Post-Deployment Health Assessment Act of 2009
Bill # S.711
Original Sponsor:
Max Baucus (D-MT)
Cosponsor Total: 0
About This Legislation:
3/25/2009—Introduced.
To require mental health screenings for members of the Armed Forces who are deployed in connection with a contingency operation, and for other purposes.
Congressional Legislation
Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act of 2009
Bill # H.R. 1932
Original Sponsor:
Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)
Cosponsor Total: 3
About This Legislation:
4/2/2009—Introduced.
The Child Health Care Crisis Relief Act (H.R. 1932), was reintroduced for the 111th Congress in the House by Reps. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). The bill gained record bipartisan support in the last two Congresses put has not yet been voted on by the full House or Senate.
H.R. 1932 addresses the critical national shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists and other children's mental health professionals by creating education incentives to encourage recruitment into these fields. For child and adolescent psychiatry training programs, the legislation would extend Medicare graduate medical education (GME) funding support for two years after general psychiatry, and create a loan forgiveness program for use by child and adolescent psychiatrists. The APA is working with its colleague organizations to generate further support for H.R. 1932 and the introduction of a Senate companion bill.
Congressional Legislation
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act
Bill # S. 678
Original Sponsor:
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Cosponsor Total: 3
About This Legislation:
3/24/2009—Introduced.
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act will authorize key programs designed to protect children and reduce juvenile crime.
The JJDPA also authorizes funding for mental health and drug treatment for juvenile offenders, and encourages states to address the overrepresentation of minorities in the juvenile justice system. The legislation supports the efforts of states that attempt to comply with the core requirements of the JJDPA by making funds available through improvement grants to help bring states into compliance with the Act. Competitive grants authorized under the expiring Juvenile Justice Act are administered through the Department of Justice.
Congressional Legislation
Melanie Blocker Stokes Mom's Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support for Postpartum Depression (Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS) Act
Bill # S. 324/H.R. 20
Original Sponsor:
Robert Menendez (D-NJ) in the Senate
Bobby Rush (D-IL) in the House
Cosponsor Total:
Senate: 7
House: 15
About This Legislation:
1/26/2009—Introduced in the Senate.
1/6/2009—Introduced in the House.
Melanie Blocker Stokes Mom's Opportunity to Access Health, Education, Research, and Support for Postpartum Depression Act or the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act - Encourages the Secretary of Health and Human Services to continue: (1) activities on postpartum depression; and (2) research to expand the understanding of the causes of, and treatments for, postpartum conditions.
Expresses the sense of Congress that the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health may conduct a nationally representative longitudinal study of the relative mental health consequences for women of resolving a pregnancy in various ways.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary to make grants for projects for the establishment, operation, and coordination of effective and cost-efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with a postpartum condition and their families. Directs the Secretary to ensure that such projects provide education and services with respect to the diagnosis and management of postpartum conditions. Authorizes such projects to include: (1) delivering or enhancing outpatient home-based health and support services; and (2) providing education to new mothers and their families about postpartum conditions to promote earlier diagnosis and treatment. Sets forth grant requirements.
Directs the Secretary to study the benefits of screening for postpartum conditions.
Prohibits the Secretary from utilizing amounts appropriated under this Act to carry out activities or programs that are duplicative of activities or programs that are already being carried out through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Congressional Legislation
Mental Health on Campus Improvement Act
Bill # H.R.1704
Original Sponsor:
Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
Cosponsor Total: 0
About This Legislation:
5/25/2009—Introduced.
To amend the Public Health Service Act to improve mental and behavioral health services on college campuses.
