Mental Health Bill: U.S. Senate Committee Action is Another Step Forward

Mar 17, 2016

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Mary Giliberti, chief executive officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), issued the following statement today after the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) approved S. 2680, the Mental Health Reform Act of 2016.

"NAMI welcomes the committee's action as another step forward in the process leading to enactment of bipartisan comprehensive mental health reform. We appreciate the leadership of Committee Chair Lamar Alexander and Ranking Member Patty Murray in moving the process forward and that of Senators Chris Murphy and Bill Cassidy, who have been champions of reform.

The U.S. House Energy & Commerce's health subcommittee has approved bipartisan mental health reform legislation, H.R.2646, and we hope that further action in the House will occur soon.

As Senate and House actions converge, NAMI will continue to work for the broadest and strongest possible bill to improve the nation's mental health care system. Millions of Americans affected by mental illness deserve no less."