Dive Brief:
- The Senate's committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions moved Wednesday to unanimously approve a bill on mental health and multiple bills on substance abuse, Morning Consult reports.
- The mental health legislation underwent negotiation by Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN), ranking member Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT).
- The Mental Health Reform Act is receiving notable bipartisan support and could overhaul mental healthcare through improved access, funding, and accountability.
Dive Insight:
Lawmakers' interest in mental health reform has increased partly in step with the growing issues around opioid abuse and gun violence. The legislation is expected to make it to the Senate floor, and potentially be merged with related bills being considered by other committees.
The gun violence issue throws a partisan wrench into the otherwise bipartisan works, however. As Morning Consult notes, Republicans are seeking a solution via mental health reform while Democrats seek reformed gun control. As part of that debate, another mental health bill by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is drawing criticism from Democrats because they argue its provision on background checks makes it too easy for those with meantal disabilities to buy guns.
Meanwhile, the simultaneous HELP legislation on substance abuse aims to build on a previous related bill that passed the Senate last week.