Sec. 301. Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee
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Not later than 3 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the designee of the Secretary, shall establish a committee to be known as the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (in this section referred to as the Committee ). Except as provided in this section, the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall apply to the Committee. The Committee shall meet not fewer than two times each year.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and 5 years after such date of enactment, the Committee shall submit to Congress a report including— a summary of advances in serious mental illness and serious emotional disturbance research related to the prevention of, diagnosis of, intervention in, and treatment and recovery of, serious mental illnesses, serious emotional disturbances, and advances in access to services and support for individuals with a serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance; an evaluation of the effect on public health of Federal programs related to serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance, including measurements of public health outcomes such as— rates of suicide, suicide attempts, prevalence of serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbances, and substance use disorders, overdose, overdose deaths, emergency hospitalizations, emergency room boarding, preventable emergency room visits, involvement with the criminal justice system, crime, homelessness, and unemployment; increased rates of employment and enrollment in educational and vocational programs; quality of mental illness and substance use disorder treatment services; and any other criteria as may be determined by the Secretary; a plan to improve outcomes for individuals with serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbances, including reducing incarceration for such individuals, reducing homelessness, and increasing employment; and specific recommendations for actions that agencies can take to better coordinate the administration of mental health services for people with serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbances.
Upon the submission of the second report under subsection (c), the Secretary shall submit a recommendation to Congress on whether to extend the operation of the Committee. The Committee shall be composed of the following Federal representatives, or their designees: The Secretary of Health and Human Services, who shall serve as the Chair of the Committee. The Director of the National Institutes of Health. The Assistant Secretary for Health of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. The Attorney General of the United States. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The Secretary of Defense. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The Secretary of Education. The Secretary of Labor. The Commissioner of Social Security. The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The Committee shall also include not less than 14 non-Federal public members appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, of which— at least two members shall be individuals with lived experience with serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance; at least one member shall be a parent or legal guardian of an individual with a history of a serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance; at least one member shall be a representative of a leading research, advocacy, or service organization for individuals with serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance; at least two members shall be— a licensed psychiatrist with experience treating serious mental illnesses or serious emotional disturbances; a licensed psychologist with experience treating serious mental illnesses or serious emotional disturbances; a licensed clinical social worker with experience treating serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbances; or a licensed psychiatric nurse, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant with experience treating serious mental illnesses or serious emotional disturbances; at least one member shall be a licensed mental health professional with a specialty in treating children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances; at least one member shall be a mental health professional who has research or clinical mental health experience working with minorities; at least one member shall be a mental health professional who has research or clinical mental health experience working with medically underserved populations; at least one member shall be a State certified mental health peer-support specialist; at least one member shall be a judge with experience adjudicating cases within a mental health court; at least one member shall be a law enforcement officer or corrections officer with extensive experience in interfacing with individuals with a serious mental illness or serious emotional disturbance, or in a mental health crisis; and at least one member shall be a homeless services provider with experience working with individuals with serious mental illness, with serious emotional disturbance, or having mental health crisis.
A member of the Committee appointed under paragraph
(2)shall serve for a term of 3 years, and may be reappointed for one or more additional 3-year terms. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy for an unexpired term shall be appointed for the remainder of such term. A member may serve after the expiration of the member’s term until a successor has been appointed. In carrying out its functions, the Committee may establish working groups. Such working groups shall be composed of Committee members, or their designees, and may hold such meetings as are necessary. The Committee shall terminate on the date that is 6 years after the date on which the Committee is established under subsection (a)(1).