House Passes Bipartisan Mental Health Legislation

Washington, D.C.  – This afternoon, Representative Kevin Yoder (R-KS) joined a bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives in passing the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act by a vote of 422-2. The bill takes important steps to address the mental health crisis in America, including:

• Increases the number of psychiatric beds and mental health providers.
• Allows family members to help in treatment.
• Provides alternatives to incarceration.
• Improves rural access to care.
• Funds prevention programs that work.

“With more than 10 million Americans suffering from a serious mental illness, it’s time Congress acted to offer them a helping hand,” Representative Yoder said. “I’m proud to support this bill, which is the largest reform of our mental health system in decades and shares the support of nearly the entire Congress. It will improve coordination among agencies and close the gaps that patients have been slipping through for years. It will deliver a top to bottom improvement and bring new hope to those who are too often forgotten and left behind.”

To watch a short video from the bill’s lead sponsor Representative Tim Murphy (R-PA) explaining why the bill is necessary and what it does, click here.

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