Washington – today, Congressman Cheri Bustos (IL-17)voted for mental health issues lawan innovative proposal to tackle America’s ongoing mental health crisis and help students, families, and educators thrive. Strengthen care and improve coverage of mental health and substance use disorder care for workers and families.

“Our country is facing a mental health crisis and too many young people are not getting the support they need.” Congressman Bustos said. “As we work to reduce the stigma that prevents people from seeking help, it is important that resources are readily available. Today, I want to improve mental health services in schools and help all Americans. I voted to pass a bill that would allow people to access mental health care.”

of mental health issues law Strengthen access to mental health services and improve well-being for Americans:

• Directs the Department of Education to build a pipeline of school-based mental health service providers and to award grants to increase the number of mental health professionals serving in high-need neighborhood primary and secondary schools.
• Directs the Department of Education to award grants to state educational institutions to recruit and retain school-based mental health service providers in high-need public elementary and secondary schools.
• Require higher education institutions to allow incoming students with existing disability certificates access to disabled accommodation, and institutions to adopt more transparent policies regarding the accommodation process oblige.

• Grants to increase student access to evidence-based trauma support and mental health services by developing innovative initiatives that link schools and local educational institutions with local trauma-based support and mental health systems. Create a gold program.
• Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to identify evidence-based interventions for Head Start programs and assists Head Start agencies in implementing these interventions to improve the health of children and staff.
• Provides enhanced powers to the Department of Labor to ensure that employer-sponsored private sector health insurance programs comply with the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Mental Health Equality and Addiction Equality Act and related laws; and
• Compulsory Arbitration Agreement in Health Care to Strengthen the Ability of Americans with Employer-Sponsored Private Health and Retirement Plans to Hold Employers Liable When Employees Are Improperly Denied Benefits prohibit the

The Mental Health Matters Act builds on Bustos’ work to protect the constitutional right of all Americans to the pursuit of justice. Representative Bustos recently signed a law banning forced arbitration in cases of sexual assault and harassment. Bustos is fairness lawprohibits the enforcement of mandatory pre-dispute arbitration clauses in contracts involving consumer, employment, antitrust, and civil rights disputes.

You can read the full text of the bill here. A fact sheet for the bill can be found here.