H.R. 2646, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act

Mental illness does not discriminate based on age, class or ethnicity. It affects all segments of society. The stories are haunting and the numbers are staggering. Nearly 10 million Americans have serious mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression); but, millions are going without treatment as families struggle to find care for loved ones.

To understand why so many in need of care go without treatment, Congressman Murphy, Chairman of the the Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, lead a top-to-bottom review of the country’s mental health system beginning in January 2013. The investigation, which included public forums, hearings with expert witnesses and document and budget reviews, revealed the federal government’s approach to mental health is a chaotic patchwork of antiquated programs and ineffective policies spread across numerous agencies with little to no coordination. As documented in a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, 112 federal programs intended to address mental illness aren’t connecting for effective service delivery and “interagency coordination for programs supporting individuals with serious mental illness is lacking.”

While the federal government dedicates $130 billion towards mental health each year, the so-called “mental health system” is best described by its deficits. To name just a few:

•  There is a nationwide shortage of nearly 100,000 needed psychiatric beds.
   
•  Three of the largest mental health “hospitals” are in fact criminal incarceration facilities (LA County, Cook County, and Rikers Island jails).
   
•  Privacy rules that frustrate both physicians and family members generate nearly 8,000 official complaints yearly.
   
•  For every 2,000 children with a mental health disorder, only one child psychiatrist is available.
   
• The leading federal mental health agency does not employ a psychiatrist.

The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, H.R. 2646, fixes the nation’s broken mental health system by refocusing programs, reforming grants, and removing federal barriers to care.

 

     

  

 

BILL INFORMATION

  

  

FLOOR SPEECHES AND VIDEOS

  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

Watch Rep. Murphy implore members of Congress to sign onto the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act.

H.R. 2646 helps families break free from the HIPAA privacy rule

 

HEARINGS

IN THE NEWS

HEADLINES

New law includes mental health care reforms for children, WCPO Cincinnati (December 14, 2016)

Help and hope for people who struggle with mental illness, Orlando Sentinel (December 14, 2016)

Obama signs Cures Act, Behavioral Healthcare Executive (December 13, 2016)

How the big biomedical bill advances U.S. mental health care, PBS Newshour (December 13, 2016)

Obama signed medical cures bill into law, The Hill (December 13, 2016)

 

Here's what you need to know about the 21st Century Cures Act, The Mighty (December 8, 2016)

Mental Health Care Gets A Boost from 21st Century Cures Act, NPR (December 7, 2016)

Murphy's signature mental health reform bill passes the Senate, heads to president's desk, Beaver County Times (December 7, 2016)

Congressman working to make mental healt care as accessible as treating a broken arm, Sinclair Broadcast Group (December 7, 2016)

In Obamacare Repeal Efforts, Mental Health Care Poised as a Flashpoint, US News and World Report (December 7, 2016)

In rare bipartisan success, Congress passes major mental health bill, Christian Science Monitor (December 7, 2016)

Mental health advocates celebrate passage of 21st Century Cures Act, USA Today (December 7, 2016)

Gun-Owners' Due Process Included in 21st Century Cures Act, Outdoor Life (December 7, 2016)

Nation's Largest Suicide Prevention Organization Thanks Congress for Passing Mental Health Legislation, Yahoo! News (December 7, 2016)

U.S. Senate set to approve sweeping medical bill, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (December 5, 2016)

H.R. 2646, suicide and a coroner's gift shop, The Hill (November 10, 2016)

Lame duck Congress likely to mull health bills, MedPage (October 21, 2016)

Mental health in America - why there is no real treatment, The Hill (October 19, 2016) 

Can lame-duck Congress make real stried toward mental healthcare reform? Nelson Hardiman (October 18, 2016) 

Mental health emergency department visits outpace non-psychiatric episodes, study says, (October 18, 2016)

Murray should get mental health reform to Senate floor, Spokesman-Review (October 11, 2016)

Congress has a chance to address coverage gap, Mankato Free Press (September 20, 2016)

Clinton's mental health plan doesn't compare to the bipartisan bill, Huffington Post (September 15, 2016)

Federal mental health bill shifts focus to preventing tragedy, Chicago Daily Herald (July 19, 2016)

New bill could increase mental health care option, Chicago Tribune (July 19, 2016)

House to Vote on Mental Health Legislation Next Week, CQ Roll Call (June 30, 2016)

Vote on Rep. Murphy's Mental Health Bill Expected Next Week, KDKA (June 27, 2016)

House Will Vote On Mental Health Bill After July Fourth Recess, Morning Consult (June 22, 2016)

Energy & Commerce Committee Approves Mental Health System Reform Bill, Lexology (June 21, 2016)

Amended mental health reform act approved by committee, proceeds to House, Healio (June 20, 2016)

Health Brief: Week in Review & What's Ahead, Morning Consult (June 19, 2016)

American Psychological Association Applauds House Action on Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, American Psychological Association (June 15, 2016)

Unanimous vote send mental health reform to House floor, Clinical Psychiatry News Digital Network (June 15, 2016)

Murphy mental health bill poised to clear House committee, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (June 15, 2016)

House panel advances mental health reform, Washington Examiner (June 15, 2016)

Delivering movement on mental health, Heartzine (June 14, 2016)

Murphy Thinks Mental Health Will Reach House Floor Before Summer Recess, Morning Consult (June 14, 2016)

H.R. 2646, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, Moves to Full Committee; Administration Releases Proposed Rule on Short-Term Health Plans, Lexology (June 13, 2016)

Mentally Invisible, Houston Chronicle (June 10, 2016) 

Mental Health Reform Desperately Needed To Pass House And Senate, Forbes (June 8, 2016) 

Rep. Murphy's rational plan for our mental health crisis, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (October 26, 2015)

Mental healthcare reform comes into focus, The Hill (October 26, 2015)

Lawmakers Want Markup on Mental Health Bill Now, Politico Pulse (October 23, 2015)

Congressman asks New Mexico lawmakers to support mental health reform, Santa Fe New Mexican (October 20, 2015)

Advocates, Lawmakers See Momentum For Mental Health Reform in Congress, Washington Post (October 18, 2015)

Eric Shawn Reports: Reforming Our Mental Health System, America's News HQ (October 11, 2015)

'HIPAA handcuffs.' costs of incarceration and more from PennLive's mental health Q & A, Penn Live (October 13, 2015)

U.S. Rep. Murphy Pushing For His Mental Health Legislation After Oregon Shooting, Beaver County Times (October 9, 2015)

Partisan Standoff Stalls Both Gun and Mental-Health Bills, National Journal (October 9, 2015)

Michael's story: Mentally ill man attacks his family after being deserted by Pa. health care, Penn Live (October 8, 2015)

Groups call for action on 42 CFR, Politico Pro (October 6, 2015)

Federal Mental Health Reform Bill Back For Another Round, Roanoke Times (September 21, 2015)

Michael Welner M.D. Discusses Need For H.R. 2646, Think Tank WWL (September 17, 2015)

Is this the moment for long-stalled mental health overhaul? Politico (September 10, 2015)

Mass Killings Could Revive Bill on Mental Health Reform, Washington Examiner (September 8, 2015)

Murphy Touts Mental health Bill on Cleveland Visit, Behavioral Healthcare (September 4, 2015)

Across much of US, a serious shortage of psychiatrists, Associated Press (September 2, 2015)

Coping with a Child's Mental Illness, Family Circle (September 1, 2015)

Virginia Shooting Has Local Congressman Pushing Mental Health Legislation, KDKA (August 28, 2015)

Rep. Murphy ‘Bitter’ Over Lack Of Action On Mental Health Bill, KDKA (August 28, 2015)

Bucshon supports mental health bill in Congress, WTHI-TV (August 28, 2015)

R.I. Mirrors U.S. in Fragmentation of Mental Health System, Providence Journal (August 23, 2015)

Push on at state, federal, level for improved mental health care, services, Florida Times-Union (August 21, 2015)

Medsphere and SIlver Hill Hospital Endorse Legislative Efforts To Improve Mental Health Care System, BusinessWire.com (August 18, 2015)

Patients' Rights, Privacy Concerns Highlighted in Mental Health Laws, U.S. News & World Report (August 14, 2015)

Rep. Murphy Talks HR 2646 Following Lafayette Movie Theater Attack, WWL-AM (August 8, 2015)

What Comes Next For Mental Health Bill? CNN New Day (July 28, 2015)

Rep. Murphy on CNN Newsroom Discussing Lafayette Theatre Shooting, CNN Newsroom (July 25, 2015)

Mental Health Overhaul Could Get Pre-Recess Boost, CQ, (July 16, 2015)

Bay Area Mother Takes On Mental Health Care System's Revolving Door, NBC News Bay Area (July 15, 2015)

The Trials of Teresa Sheehan, BuzzFeed (July 10, 2015)

Making Cruel Unusual, The Economist (July 11, 2015)

H.R. 2646 designed to improve treatment and increase options for those who need it the most, National Review (July 7, 2015)

Mental Illness and Weapons Are A Dangerous Combination, Washington Post (July 3, 2015)

Rep. Murphy introduces legislation to improve mental health system in U.S., Sinclair Broadcast Group (June 23, 2015)

Legislation Aims To Improve Treatment of Serious Mental Illness, Clinical Psychiatry News (June 20, 2015)

Rep. Tim Murphy and mental health advocates urge passage of H.R. 2646, COX TV (June 16, 2015)

Rep. Tim Murphy recaps Health subcommitee hearing on H.R. 2646, Federal News Radio (June 16, 2015)

Revised Mental Health Bill Gets Conditional Endorsement, CQ (June 16, 2015)

Murphy's Bill To Overhaul Mental Health System Stirs Debate, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (June 16, 2015)

Va. senator attacked by son argues for easing patient privacy laws, Washington Examiner (June 16, 2015)

Mental Health Bill Part of Bipartisan Push At Hill Hearing Tuesday, CNN Politics (June 16, 2015)

Violent Minds: Standing at the crossroads of mental health, public safety, CBS News (June 16, 2015)

New Bill Aims To Overhaul Mental Health System, CNN New Day (June 16, 2015)

Murphy Reintroduces Mental Health Bill, Observer-Reporter (June 16, 2016)

Rep. Murphy discusses H.R. 2646 and previews Health Subcommittee Hearing, Sirius XM's Morning Briefing (June 15, 2015)

Second Time Could Be The Charm For Murphy's Mental Health Reform Push, Morning Consult (June 12, 2015)

House OKs Funding to Train Police, Create Courts to Deal with Mentally Ill, Modern Healthcare (June 4, 2015)

Beautiful Minds Can Rest in Peace With Proposed Law, Murray Ledger and Times (May 27, 2015)

Mental Illness Discussed in Washington D.C., WJRT-TV (May 26, 2015)

Mental Health System Scrutinized on Anniversary of Isla Vista Killings, KFYR-TV (May 26, 2015)

Lawmakers Fight For Change One Year After Mass Shooting Spree in Calif., WVLT-TV (May 25, 2015)

A Call For Change On Mental Health System, Valley News Live (May 25, 2015)

Mental Health Care in the United States, C-SPAN Washington Journal (May 20, 2015)

Families of young adults with mental illness share concern about lack of coordinated care, Tyler Morning Telegraph (May 17, 2015)

Rep. Murphy on Sirius XM discussing Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, Sirius XM's Morning Briefing (May 7, 2015)
 

EDITORIALS

Editorial: Congress finds common cause, Herald-Tribune (December 12, 2016)

21st Century Cures Act significant step toward ensuring that those who need help the most get it, Turlock Journal (December 6, 2016)

Time to act on mental health legislation, Modern Healthcare (September 6, 2016)

Preventing veteran suicides a top priority, The Grand Island Idependent (July 14, 2016)

About that 'good guy' with a gun, Bradenton Herald (July 13, 2016)

Congress steps toward helping the mentally ill, Fresno Bee (July 13, 2016)

Moving against gun vioplence, Washington Times (July 5, 2016)

Sane law promises mental health treatment for the dangerously insane, New York Daily News (January 28, 2016)

Improve access to mental health care, Citizens Voice (December 16, 2016)

Retool mental health system, Scranton Times-Tribune (December 16, 2016)

Full U.S. house should get a vote on Rep. Tim Murphy's mental health bill, Penn Live (December 14, 2016)

Confront Our Mental Health Crisis, Tampa Bay Tribune (December 1, 2016)

A review of state, federal mental health laws is justified, Oklahoman (November 9, 2016)

Movement on mental-health care, Washington Post (November 1, 2016)

We've come to accept the unacceptable, Sacramento Bee (October 30, 2016)

Crime, Punishment and Mental Health, San Francisco Chronicle (October 22, 2015)

Congress can rewrite mental illness stories by doing this, Dallas Morning News (October 21, 2015)

Mental Health Reform: It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over, Huffington Post (October 14, 2015)

KDKA Urges Congress To Pass Murphy's Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, KDKA (August 31, 2015,)

New mental health bill could prevent mass shootings, Tampa Tribune (August 29, 2015)

Mental Health Bill Could Prevent The Next Mass Shooting, Sun-Sentinel (August 24, 2015)

Pseudo-science, misguided civil rights laws, and agencies block mental health care reform, Star (August 19, 2015)

2015 Could Be the Year For Mental Health Reform, Huffington Post (August 20, 2015)

America Wakes Up To Mental Health, U.S. News & World Report (August 12, 2015)

A Chance for Real Mental-Health Reform, If the Mental-Health Industry Gets Out of the Way, National Review (August 8, 2015) 

The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, North Dallas Gazette (August 6, 2015)

Perhaps Congress will address mental health care, Sacramento Bee (August 3, 2015)

Son's suicide preventable with right treatment, News-Press (July 28, 2015)

Reforms to Mental Health System Needed, Observer-Reporter (July 22, 2015)

Blaker: Mental illness haunts, kills countless Americans, Sun Prairie Star