Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee (E&C), recently announced that the committee has passed a bipartisan legislation that could reform the entire U.S. mental health system.
“This bill will make a real difference for countless Americans,” Upton said. “The 53-0 vote marks another important milestone to delivering meaningful reforms to families in mental health crisis. Those suffering from mental illness need the attention of this Congress, and I hope the House will swiftly follow our lead.”
The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act (HR 2646) was passed with a 53-0 vote. Tim Murphy (R-PA), chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, introduced the bill.
“Here and now, this committee jointly proclaims that the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness must come out of the shadows; we declare a new dawn of hope for the care of those with mental illness, and we pledge our unwavering commitment to continued work to bring help and hope in the future,” Murphy said.
The committee made significant reforms for health in the U.S., including finances for the Assisted Outpatient Treatment grant program. Now, the multi-congress, multi-year proposal will progress to the full House.
