SUPPORTING ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES DURING PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES.

SEC. 2112. SUPPORTING ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES DURING PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES.(a) Authorities.—Section 501(d) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa(d)) is amended—(1) by redesignating paragraphs (24) and (25) as paragraphs (25) and (26), respectively; and (2) by inserting after paragraph (23) the following:“(24) support the continued access to, or availability of, mental health and substance use disorder services during, or in response to, a public health emergency declared under section 319, including in consultation with, as appropriate, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the heads of other relevant agencies, in preparing for, and responding to, a public health emergency;” . (b) Strategic Plan.—Section 501(l)(4) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa(l)(4)) is amended—(1) in subparagraph (E), by striking “and” at the end; (2) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period and inserting “; and”; and (3) by adding at the end the following:“(G) specify a strategy to support the continued access to, or availability of, mental health and substance use disorder services, including to at-risk individuals (as defined in section 2802(b)(4)), during, or in response to, public health emergencies declared pursuant to section 319.” . (c) Biennial Report Concerning Activities and Progress.—Section 501(m) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa(m)) is amended—(1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (7) as paragraphs (5) through (8), respectively; (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:“(4) a description of the Administration’s activities to support the continued provision of mental health and substance use disorder services, as applicable, in response to public health emergencies declared pursuant to section 319;” ; and (3) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated—(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) and (E) as subparagraphs (E) and (F), respectively; and (B) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:“(D) relevant preparedness and response activities;” . (d) Advisory Councils.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health 136 STAT. 5722 and Substance Use shall issue a report to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, reflecting the feedback of the advisory councils for the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and the Center for Mental Health Services, pursuant to section 502 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa–1), with recommendations to improve the continued provision of mental health and substance use disorder services during a public health emergency declared under section 319 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 247d), and the provision of such services as part of the public health and medical response to such an emergency, consistent with title XXVIII of such Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh et seq.), including related to the capacity of the mental health and substance use disorder workforce and flexibilities provided to awardees of mental health and substance use disorder programs. (e) GAO Report.—Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on programs and activities of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to support the provision of mental health and substance use disorder services and related activities during the COVID–19 pandemic, including the provision of such services as part of the medical and public health response to such pandemic. Such report shall—(1) examine the role played by the advisory councils described in section 502 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa–1) and the National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory established under section 501A of such Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa–0) in providing technical assistance and recommendations to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to support the response of such agency to the public health emergency declared under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) with respect to COVID–19; (2) describe the manner in which existing awardees of mental health and substance use disorder programs provided and altered delivery of services during such public health emergency, including information on the populations served by such awardees and any barriers faced in delivering services; and (3) describe activities of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to support the response to such public health emergency, including through technical assistance, provision of services, and any flexibilities provided to such existing awardees, and any barriers faced in implementing such activities.