A House committee Wednesday voted unanimously in favor of advancing a sweeping mental health reform bill.
The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act passed 53-0 in the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is now going to the full House floor. The bill aims to improve mental health services and was first introduced by Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) a year after the 2012 Sandy Hook shootings that killed 26, including 20 children.
The bill proposes an assistant secretary for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorders in the HHS to promote mental health services and coordinate programs across different agencies. It would also require psychiatric hospitals to establish discharge plans and provide additional beds for short-term care.
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