APA Praises Subcommittee Passage of Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act

ARLINGTON, Va. — Late last night, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee passed HR 2646, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2015, by an 18-12 vote. The Act, introduced by Reps. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), will now move on to the full Committee for consideration. The bill has 161 other co-sponsors from both parties. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has joined with many leading mental health organizations to urge Congress to pass bipartisan legislation reforming the mental health system. APA has endorsed both HR 2646 and similar legislation introduced in the Senate.

APA President Renée Binder, M.D., issued a statement today in response to last night’s subcommittee vote:

We are very pleased by Wednesday night’s passage of HR 2646 by the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee. This is a major milestone in the push for comprehensive mental health reform. This bill goes a long way in addressing the shortcomings of our nation’s broken mental health system. We will continue to work with our partners and with members on both sides of the aisle to pass this legislation in the House. We encourage the full committee to act on this bill soon.

The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose more than 36,000 physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders. Visit the APA at www.psychiatry.org.

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