# 114-hr-1877: Mental Health First Aid Act of 2016

114-hr-1877, Mental Health First Aid Act of 2016, is a 114th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Jenkins, Lynn [R-KS-2] (R-KS); status Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-1877
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 114-hr-1877
- Congress: 114
- Title: Mental Health First Aid Act of 2016
- Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Introduced: 2015-04-16
- Sponsor: Rep. Jenkins, Lynn [R-KS-2] (R-KS)
- Cosponsors: 47
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Mental Health First Aid Act of 2015 Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to award grants to initiate and sustain mental health first aid training programs. Requires such a program to include training on: (1) the skills, resources, and knowledge necessary to assist individuals in crisis to connect with appropriate local mental health care services; (2) mental health resources, including the location of community mental health centers; and (3) protocols for referral to mental health resources. Sets forth the categories of individuals to be trained under the program, including first responders, law enforcement personnel, teachers and school administrators, human resources professionals, faith community leaders, nurses and other primary care personnel, students enrolled in school, parents of students, and veterans. Requires such programs to train individuals to accomplish safe de-escalation of crisis situations, recognition of the signs and symptoms of mental illness, and timely referral to mental health services in the early stages of developing mental disorders. Requires SAMHSA to ensure that grants are equitably distributed geographically, and to pay particular attention to the mental health training needs of rural areas.

## Cosponsors (47)

- Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7] (D-CA), 2015-04-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-16] (D-CA), 2015-05-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Perlmutter, Ed [D-CO-7] (D-CO), 2015-05-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lipinski, Daniel [D-IL-3] (D-IL), 2015-05-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1] (D-RI), 2015-05-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-4] (D-CA), 2015-06-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2015-06-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6] (D-MI), 2015-06-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Polis, Jared [D-CO-2] (D-CO), 2015-06-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4] (D-NC), 2015-06-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Esty, Elizabeth H. [D-CT-5] (D-CT), 2015-06-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Loebsack, David [D-IA-2] (D-IA), 2015-06-18T00:00:00.000Z
- RICHARD NOLAN (D-MN), 2015-07-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1] (D-ME), 2015-07-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18] (D-CA), 2015-07-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hastings, Alcee L. [D-FL-20] (D-FL), 2015-09-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lowenthal, Alan S. [D-CA-47] (D-CA), 2015-09-30T00:00:00.000Z
- PETER VISCLOSKY (D-IN), 2015-10-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Aguilar, Pete [D-CA-33] (D-CA), 2015-10-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ashford, Brad [D-NE-2] (D-NE), 2015-10-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Yarmuth, John A. [D-KY-3] (D-KY), 2015-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kirkpatrick, Ann [D-AZ-1] (D-AZ), 2015-10-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kuster, Ann M. [D-NH-2] (D-NH), 2015-10-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Coffman, Mike [R-CO-6] (R-CO), 2015-10-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-12] (D-CA), 2015-10-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40] (D-CA), 2015-11-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jolly, David W. [R-FL-13] (R-FL), 2015-11-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-8] (D-MI), 2015-11-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-8] (D-PA), 2015-11-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2015-12-15T00:00:00.000Z
- ELIOT ENGEL (D-NY), 2015-12-16T00:00:00.000Z
- ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN (R-FL), 2016-05-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3] (D-CT), 2016-05-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gibson, Christopher P. [R-NY-19] (R-NY), 2016-05-11T00:00:00.000Z
- PETER KING (R-NY), 2016-05-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Meehan, Patrick [R-PA-7] (R-PA), 2016-05-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Napolitano, Grace F. [D-CA-31] (D-CA), 2016-05-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Heck, Joseph J. [R-NV-3] (R-NV), 2016-05-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Katko, John [R-NY-24] (R-NY), 2016-05-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Larsen, Rick [D-WA-2] (D-WA), 2016-05-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND] (R-ND), 2016-06-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bustos, Cheri [D-IL-17] (D-IL), 2016-06-10T00:00:00.000Z
- ROBERT BRADY (D-PA), 2016-06-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Costello, Ryan A. [R-PA-6] (R-PA), 2016-07-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scott, David [D-GA-13] (D-GA), 2016-09-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Yoder, Kevin [R-KS-3] (R-KS), 2016-09-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kilmer, Derek [D-WA-6] (D-WA), 2016-09-26T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 114-hr-3119: Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act
- 114-hr-1786: James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act
- 114-hr-4592: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act
- 114-hr-3268: PAST Act
- 114-hr-3381: Childhood Cancer STAR Act
- 114-hr-2737: Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015

## Sources
- [114-hr-1877 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1877)

## Related
- [114-hr-3119: Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-3119)
- [114-hr-1786: James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-1786)
- [114-hr-4592: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-4592)
- [114-hr-3268: PAST Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-3268)
- [114-hr-3381: Childhood Cancer STAR Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-3381)
- [114-hr-2737: Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-2737)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-1877 (as of 2025-11-18).