Mental Health Systems Act
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
Mental Health Systems Act - Sets forth the findings and purposes of this Act. Title I: Meeting the Needs of the Chronically Mentally Ill - Authorizes the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to make grants to any State Agency (designated under the State plan pursuant to title VI of this Act): (1) for specified projects, including the planning and coordination of mental health and support services, identifying State-level barriers to the availability of such services to the chronically mentally ill, and improving the competency of mental health service personnel; and (2) for payments to any Core Service Agency (a public or nonprofit private entity designated by the State Agency to develop and promote mental health and support services to priority population groups) for such projects and additional activities, including educational and information services. Title II: Prevention of Mental Illness - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to any State Agency for specified projects, including the planning and coordination of mental illness prevention activities, information services and demonstration projects related to mental illness prevention, and in-service and other training of health personnel in mental illness prevention measures. Title III: State Mental Health Systems Improvement - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to any State Agency to improve the administration of mental health programs. Title IV: Community Mental Health Services - Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to public or nonprofit private entities: (1) to prepare for providing mental health services (but only one grant not to exceed $75,000 may be made with respect to a mental health services area); (2) for projects providing mental health services to one or more priority population groups (with preference given to an entity serving an area which has no community mental health center); (3) for projects to develop comprehensive mental health services; (4) which are ambulatory health care centers or are affiliated with such centers and provide emergency, outpatient, and consultation and education services; (5) for the provision of mental health services which generally do not generate revenues; and (6) for projects to provide continued mental health services. Title V: Pilot Projects for State Administration of Grants - Authorizes the Secretary to enter into an agreement with any State Agency for a demonstration project under which such Agency will pay the Federal funds due to entities for activities authorized by title IV of this Act or for assistance to Core Service Agencies and will perform other agreed-upon functions. Title VI: Requirements for Participation; Authorizations - Requires a State to have in effect a mental health services plan which is consistent with the State health plan prepared in accordance with title XV of the Public Health Service Act (National Health Planning and Development) in order for the State Agency or any entity in such State to be eligible for grants under this Act. Specifies the content of such plans. Directs the Secretary to prescribe quality standards for mental health services. Allows grants to be made under title IV of this Act to any Indian tribe or urban Indian organization for projects serving members of such tribe or organization. Amends title III of the Public Health Service Act (General Powers and Duties) to require individuals who receive a clinical traineeship in psychology, psychiatry, nursing, or social work with respect to mental health to serve, at the rate of one year for each year of the traineeship: (1) in a State mental institution; (2) for any entity eligible for a grant under title IV of this Act; (3) in a health manpower shortage area; or (4) in other service as determined by the Secretary. Title VII: Miscellaneous - Prohibits the appropriation of funds under the Community Mental Health Centers Act (other than for rape prevention and control) after September 30, 1979.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on May 21, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on May 21, 1979: Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
HARLEY STAGGERS (D-WV) introduced it on May 21, 1979, and 7 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 4 Democrats, 3 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on May 21, 1979, 17279 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17279 days ago, on May 21, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers