§290aa–0b Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee

Summary

The Secretary of Health and Human Services must create a group called the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee. The Federal Advisory Committee Act applies to the group except where this law says otherwise. The Committee must meet at least 2 times each year, may form working groups made up of members or their designees, and will end on September 30, 2027. No later than 1 year and 5 years after December 29, 2022, the Committee must send Congress and other federal agencies reports that (1) summarize research and advances in preventing, diagnosing, treating, and helping people recover from serious mental illness and serious emotional disturbance and in improving access to services; (2) evaluate how federal programs affect public health using outcomes such as rates of suicide and suicide attempts; incidence and prevalence of serious mental illnesses, serious emotional disturbances, and substance use disorders; overdose and overdose deaths; emergency hospitalizations, emergency department boarding, and preventable emergency department visits; interaction with the criminal justice system; homelessness; unemployment; increased rates of employment and enrollment in education and vocational programs; quality of mental health and substance use treatment; or other criteria the Secretary chooses; and (3) give specific recommendations for better coordination of mental health services for adults with serious mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbance. The Committee will include HHS leadership (the HHS Secretary as Chair and the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use) and other federal leaders or designees (including the Attorney General; Secretaries of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Housing and Urban Development, Education, and Labor; the Administrators of CMS and ACL; and the Commissioner of Social Security). It will also include at least 14 non‑Federal public members appointed by the HHS Secretary, including people with lived experience, a parent or guardian, a research/advocacy representative, clinical specialists (psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, or psychiatric nurse/NP/PA), a child/adolescent specialist, professionals experienced with minorities and with medically underserved populations, a state certified peer support specialist, a judge with relevant experience, a law enforcement or corrections officer with extensive relevant experience, and someone experienced in services for people experiencing homelessness. Public members serve 3‑year terms and may be reappointed for 1 or more additional 3‑year terms; they may serve after their term ends until a successor is appointed.