DeLauro Commends House Passage of Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act

Chair of the House Appropriations Committee Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today commended House passage of H.R. 7666, the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act, legislation that would expand treatment for opioid-use disorders, promote behavioral health integration, and reauthorize critical programs that support mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery.

"Investments in mental health are vital, especially for our children," said Chair DeLauro. "The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act maintains and expands programs and investments to help communities affected by the opioid crisis get the assistance they need to treat their loved ones dealing with opioid use disorders. I am proud this legislation includes programs like the Mental Health Crisis Response Partnership Pilot Program, the Behavioral Health Crisis Coordinating Office, and the crisis-care set aside within the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that I created in my Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education spending bills.

"Moreover, reauthorization of these programs is needed to improve access to mental health resources in our communities, particularly for our children. I applaud my colleagues in the House for moving forward on this legislation and urge the Senate to waste no time in passing this legislation so President Biden can sign it into law."

The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act is particularly important now, as the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the existing mental health and substance use disorder crises.

The legislation enhances training requirements for practitioners who prescribe controlled substances, to reduce stigma and increase their ability to identify and treat substance use disorders. It also supports the mental health of children and young people and provides substance use disorder prevention and related services for adolescents as well as their families and caregivers.

For a fact sheet on H.R. 7666, click here.