Mental Health Policy Research Guide: Legislation

Keep in mind individuals who have mental health conditions serious enough to be considered a functional disability, are Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), Medicare, and Medicaid.

• Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recover and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act of 2018: The SUPPORT Act sought to address the nation's opioid epidemic, including provisions to strengthen the behavioral health workforce, standardize delivery of care, and support comprehensive treatment. 
• 21st Century Cures Act of 2016: The Cures Act established critical data, policy, and personnel infrastructure to support cross-government coordination related to addressing the needs of individuals with serious mental illness and population-level behavioral health.
• Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery (CARA) Act of 2016: The CARA Act allocates ~$181M annually to prevention and treatment programs addressing the opioid epidemic nationwide. It also expanded naloxone availability and strengthened drug monitoring programs.

• Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010: Also known as Obamacare, the ACA expanded Medicaid eligibility, overhauled individual insurance markets, and implemented delivery system reforms intended to constrain healthcare costs and improve healthcare quality across the US. It amended MHPAEA to include health insurance providers among those banned from imposing less favorable benefit limitations on mental health and substance use disorder services relative to medical and surgical services.

• Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) of 2010: TLOA expanded the punitive abilities of tribal courts and increased intergovernmental collaboration between tribal, federal, state, and local governments. The law also provided funding for preventative programs for alcohol and substance abuse treatments and youth programming.

• Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008: MHPAEA prevented group health plans from imposing less favorable benefit limitations on mental health and substance use disorder services than medical and surgical services.

• ADA Amendments (ADAA) Act of 2008: The ADAA Act of 2008 clarified the definition of disability under the ADA, limiting the scope of the ADA’s protections for disabled people.

• Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act of 2004

• Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP) Act of 2006

• Children’s Health Act of 2000

• Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration Reorganization (ADAMHA) Act of 1992: The ADAMHA Reorganization Act established the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, charged with targeting substance use and mental health services to people most in need and translating research in these areas into the general health care system.

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990: A disability nondiscrimination law, the ADA established some requirements for governments, employers, and businesses to provide equal access to employment, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications for people with disabilities.

• Protection and Advocacy for Mental III Individuals Act of 1986

• Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1975: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/

• Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (precursor to the ADA)

• Social Security Act Amendments of 1956, 1965 (establishing medicaid and medicare) 1972

• Social Security Act of 1935

• Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act of 2021: If passed, its provisions would simplify the SSI claim process, expand benefits and income limits, and eliminate punitive reductions in benefits, having broad and far-reaching implications for seniors and people with disabilities.
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• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services - Formerly known as the Health Care Financing Agency (HCFA), this is the federal agency that administers the Medicare, Medicaid and Child Health Insurance Programs. Much information is available on this site, included. 
• Congress.gov - Congress.gov is the official website for U.S. federal legislative information. The site provides access to accurate, timely, and complete legislative information for Members of Congress, legislative agencies, and the public.
• Department of Health and Human Services - The federal department responsible for protecting the health and well-being of Americans. The Laws & Regulations page links to the major laws and regulations which direct health care in the U.S
• ProQuest Congressional (access restricted to Columbia affiliates) - Provides full text for many titles, generally from the early 1990's to the present. Includes bills, laws, legislative histories, committee prints, House and Senate documents and reports, the Congressional Record, Code of Federal Regulations, and Federal Register.
• Thomas - A congressional source for current bills and other legislative activities. Superseded by Congress.gov. 

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) supports research designed to improve the quality of health care, reduce its cost, and broaden access to essential services.
• Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provides Congress with objective, timely, nonpartisan analysis needed for economic and budget decisions and with the information and estimates required for the Congressional budget process. 

• Government Accountability Office (GAO)  is the investigative arm of Congress. Charged with examining matters relating to the receipt and disbursement of public funds, GAO performs audits and evaluations of Government programs and activities. There are options to look at Reports and Testimony by date, topic and agency.