Top senators on an influential health committee indicated at a hearing Tuesday that they plan to work on a bipartisan mental health and substance use package this year.
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen record numbers of drug overdose deaths and rises in the number of individuals reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression. Experts have renewed calls for increased resources for children’s mental health, expanding access to mental telehealth and broadening the continuum of care for individuals in crisis situations.
Bipartisan interest has been brewing for a significant legislative package to address growing mental health needs. Senate Finance Committee leaders began work on their own bipartisan package last fall and are expected to unveil their next steps Feb. 8 in their own hearing on youth mental health with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Finance leaders had aimed to put together a bipartisan mental health proposal by the end of last year.
