Congressman Marsha Blackburn
7th District of Tennessee
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Vice Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today released the following statement after House passage of the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2015 (H.R. 2646), the most significant reform to our nation’s mental health programs in decades.
“While one in five Americans will face mental illness, the current state of mental health care in our country has left many behind. Four million Americans with serious mental illness receive no treatment at all.
“This legislation will fix the shortage of beds in our mental health facilities, expand the mental health workforce, empower parents and caregivers and help fund evidence-based care. Furthermore, it prioritizes suicide prevention and will authorize the Suicide Prevention Hotline for the very first time. It’s past time those suffering receive treatment before tragedy,” Blackburn said.
“This historic vote on H.R. 2646 begins a new dawn of hope for families in mental health crisis,” said Congressman Murphy. “Congresswoman Blackburn’s leadership was instrumental in ending the era of stigma and delivering treatment before tragedy.”
Click HERE to read a fact sheet on H.R. 2646 and click HERE for a section by section of the bill, as passed by the Energy and Commerce Committee.
