H.Res. 1191

Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution H. Res. 1191 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Madam Speaker, yesterday, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 1191, for three measures.

First, it provides for consideration of H.R. 4176 under a structured rule. The rule self-executes a manager's amendment, provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, makes in order three amendments, and provides a motion to recommit.

Second, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 5585 under a structured rule. The rule provides for 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, makes in order one amendment, and provides a motion to recommit.

Third, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 7666 under a structured rule. The rule self-executes a manager's amendment, provides 1 hour of general debate equally controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, makes in order 17 amendments, and provides en bloc authority and a motion to recommit.

Finally, the rule extends recess instructions, suspension authority, and same-day authority through July 13, and any requested roll call votes on suspension bills considered from June 21 to June 24 may be postponed through July 15.

Madam Speaker, I stand in support of the three bills in this rule: H.R. 7666, the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act; H.R. 5585, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Health Act; and H.R. 4176, the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act.

I want to start by thanking Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member McMorris Rodgers for their work crafting a bipartisan package to tackle the growing mental health crisis in our country.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a dramatic rise in global mental health illness associated with anxiety, depression, and collective grief.

In my State, almost 45 percent of North Carolinians reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in February 2021, with more than 22 percent unable to get necessary care, largely because of prohibitive costs.

Almost 130,000 children ages 12 through 17 in North Carolina suffer from adolescent depression. Multiply that nationwide. More than half of the children in North Carolina did not receive any care in the past year. Once they reach high school, these children are twice as likely to drop out of school as their peers.

These statistics tell just part of the story of families disrupted, education delayed, and the barriers facing Americans striving to achieve their full potential and well-being.

Congress has a duty to address this crisis with the same urgency with which we passed COVID-19 legislation.

Today, we are doing just that with H.R. 7666, the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act, which will provide improved access to healthcare for mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders.

This legislation boosts compliance with mental health parity laws, supports mental health care through telehealth, and reauthorizes key programs that fund mental health services, all deeply needed by our people.

This rule also includes H.R. 5585, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Health Act, ARPA-H.

For decades, the United States has been the leader in biomedical research around the world. However, our country has recently shown signs of slowing in this sector.

Promising research opportunities are put on hold due to high cost, complex coordination, long wait periods, and many other factors.

My State of North Carolina became the first State in the country to have a State-supported entity dedicated to promoting growth of the life sciences industry after the creation of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in 1984.

In my district of Wake County, the Research Triangle Park stands as the largest research park in North America. ARPA-H will have profound influences in North Carolina's economy and the national economy and stimulate the development of breakthroughs in health research that will benefit millions of Americans.

H.R. 5585 will authorize $500 million each year for the next 5 years to support ARPA-H and fund groundbreaking research and development to continue saving American lives.

Finally, this rule includes H.R. 4176, the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act. Most legislators agree that good policy should be evidence-based. Our Government collects demographic data to ensure we can identify whether certain groups of Americans are facing obstacles to the equal opportunities they need to thrive. However, Federal agencies are not currently required to collect demographic data on sexual orientation and gender identity. We need this data to know how to address issues faced by the LGBTQI+ people and combat discrimination.

In 2019, UCLA found that nearly one in four LGBTQ adults in the South, including in my State of North Carolina,

live in poverty, a rate higher than the overall poverty rate in the United States.

LGBTQI+ youth, in particular, face high levels of homelessness and are at greater risk of depression and suicidal thoughts than their peers. With good data, we can implement good programs aimed at eliminating these disparities and help members of this community reach their full potential.

As Cathy Renna of the National LGBTQ Task Force says, ``If we don't get counted, we don't count.'' This community is asking to be counted. Our Nation has already gone through the poor policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. We now have a responsibility to reverse the effects of this policy to help members of the LGBTQI+ community live as their authentic selves.

We can do that by allowing individuals to voluntarily disclose their sexual orientation and gender identities. In other words, by asking and letting them decide to tell.

Madam Speaker, I urge support for the rule and the three bills it contains, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a June 11, 2021, CNN Business article entitled ``LGBTQ+ Americans aren't fully counted by the government. That's a big problem.''

[From CNN Business, June, 11, 2021]

LGBTQ+ Americans Aren't Fully Counted by the Government. That's a Big

Problem

(By Anneken Tappe and Alicia Wallace)

Government data help policymakers find and fix problems for

people in need. But that's tricky if some groups aren't

represented in the stats.

This is the case for the LGBTQ+ community, and it's a huge

problem. Here's an example: The government's monthly jobs

report shows how many men and women, Black, White, Asian and

Hispanic workers are unemployed. The stats lay bare a lot of

inequities, but there are no comparable federal data on

LGBTQ+ workers.

``We are invisible in federal statistics, when it comes to

some policymakers,'' said

Justin Nelson, co-founder and president of the National LGBT

Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC).

Put more bluntly: ``If we don't get counted, we don't

count,'' said Cathy Renna, communications director at the

National LGBTQ Task Force.

Official stats, including the Census, are used to decide

how federal funds are distributed--to the tune of $1.5

trillion. But data gaps in the jobs reports, health surveys

and the decennial Census affect millions of people: 5.6

percent of US adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or

transgender, according to a Gallup survey published in

February.

Official data are needed ``to ensure that LGBT people are

included in efforts to reduce unemployment through increased

labor force participation, as well as to monitor compliance

with anti-discrimination provisions,'' researchers at the

UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute wrote earlier this

year in support of adding LGBTQ+ questions to the Current

Population Survey, which helps create the jobs report.

Recent research has found higher rates of poverty,

unemployment, health disparities, and workplace

discrimination among LGBTQ+ adults, according to the Williams

Institute. The negative outcomes were even greater among

transgender individuals and LGBTQ+ people of color.

Examples of how data can change outcomes for the LGBTQ+

community include the establishment of the Massachusetts

Commission on LGBTQ youth, school training services and

ongoing research after former Governor William Weld sought to

respond to an increase in LGBTQ+ youth suicides; the

improvement of individuals' medical care following research

asking patients about their sexual orientation and gender

identity; and the creation of equity programs within the Los

Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services

following a study that showed LGBTQ+ youth were

overrepresented in the youth foster system and experienced

harsher treatment.

Although independent research from the Williams Institute

and established pollsters such Gallup have provided some data

about the community, that research just doesn't carry the

same weight as government stats in leading to funding of

direct services and addressing the needs of people in the

queer community, Renna said.

Across government agencies, academics and the LGTBQ+

community itself, people have expressed a desire to better

understand the needs of that population. The government is

doing research to figure out how to best ask about sexual

orientation and gender identity.

But the business of big, robust data sets is complicated.

Government statistics are pretty sophisticated and the

methodology behind surveys goes through a lot of prodding.

But when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community, government

institutions haven't done enough research yet to make broader

improvements to the data.

The worry is that reporting errors on questions surrounding

sexual orientation and gender identity may lead to much

bigger errors in the eventual data.

``Questions for relatively small populations must be

formulated especially carefully; if they are not, even

relatively small sampling or reporting errors can lead to

large errors in estimates,'' the US Bureau of Labor

Statistics told CNN Business in an email.

The questions the Census Bureau asks also have to go

through an established process to review wording and

effectiveness. Ultimately the Office of Management and Budget

approves any new questions.

When the government surveys households, for example to

learn about America's employment situation, one person

answers questions for other members of their household. That

can make it harder to get accurate data on members of the

LGBTQ+ community, especially if a person hasn't come out to

their family, or if the survey respondent is uncomfortable

talking about another household member's sexual orientation

or gender identity.

``Not everyone's out,'' Renna added. ``Some of us live in

places where you can be fired if you come out.''

The NGLCC, which leans heavily on community-driven surveys

and private sector research, has yet to meet with the Census

and BLS on inclusive data-gathering efforts, Nelson said. But

he said he is optimistic about the Biden-Harris

Administration's efforts to broaden the scope of its data

collection.

President Joe Biden last week, in officially recognizing

June as Pride Month, urged Congress to pass the Equality Act

to ensure civil rights protections for members of the LGBTQ+

community and their families.

``We are a strong part of the economic fabric . . . not

just in Pride Month,'' Nelson said. ``We need to get

inclusive on data collection immediately, because the sooner

we can normalize that data collection, the less opportunity

there is for erasing it.''

The people behind government surveys are doing research to

move toward a world in which official data are more

inclusive.

Figuring out how to best ask about things as personal as

sexual orientation and gender identity is at the forefront of

that research. The willingness and ability to answer

questions about sexual orientation and gender of other people

is just as critical, the Census Bureau told CNN Business.

The last BLS research paper on the topic is from 2017.

While it's feasible for the government to ask these

questions, the paper recommends more in-depth analysis.

``The reality is that it's very chicken and egg,'' Renna

said. ``If you don't have the data, you can't understand the

community. If you don't ask the community questions, you

don't have the data.''

Some government surveys already collect information on

gender identity and sexual orientation, including the

National Health Interview Survey, the National Crime

Victimization Survey and the National Survey of Children's

Health.

Last year, the 2020 Census made history by including same-

sex marriage and same-sex unmarried partners as options on

its survey. The Bureau of Labor Statistics--which uses

surveys to compile the government's monthly jobs report--

began including same-sex married couples in its tally of

married workers in January last year.

Considering that only 20 percent LGBTQ+ people live in

same-sex married households, these surveys leave out the vast

majority of the community, said Kerith Conran, the Blachford-

Cooper research director and distinguished scholar at the

Williams Institute.

And there is a greater dearth of data especially when it

comes to LGBTQ+ youth, transgender people and gender

identity, she added.

Earlier this year, Conran and her colleagues highlighted

those and other inequities in a public comment urging the US

Census Bureau and BLS to add sexual orientation, gender

identity and sex assigned at birth questions to the Current

Population Survey.

``There are ongoing health and economic inequities that

aren't going to go away unless people start paying attention

to them,'' she said in an interview with CNN Business.

Data on sexual orientation and gender identity aren't

collected consistently across states--for example, only 30

states included the SOGI module in a US Centers for Disease

Control-backed behavioral risk survey in 2019. This creates

big gaps in the data, particularly in regions such as the

South and Midwest, Conran added.

``Those are the places where non-discrimination protections

and social acceptance are also lacking,'' she said. ``In the

places where people probably have worse conditions, [there

are] less data available to see what's going on for people.''

Madam Speaker, we rely on all kinds of data to inform our policymaking.

Right now, LGBTQI+ Americans aren't represented in Federal statistics, like for unemployment, poverty, health, and discrimination.

This gap severely impacts our ability to make smart decisions that may affect their community, let alone decisions that will help those in their community. It is imperative that we begin to let these individuals count in our Federal data system just as we do race, ethnicity, gender, and age.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, a group of 156 organizations committed to advancing equality and opportunity for the LGBTQI+ community, including the YWCA, wrote to Congress in support of H.R. 4176.

They said in their letter: ``Collecting this information in federally supported surveys, such as the Current Population Survey and the National Health Interview Survey, is essential to improving the well- being of LGBTQI+ populations across key areas of life. For example, although data are limited, research indicates that LGBTQI+ communities experience disparities across multiple domains of life compared to non- LGBTQI+ populations.''

This inclusive data ``is a crucial tool to better identify and address these disparities and to promote more equitable outcomes and opportunities for LGBTQI+ communities.''

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the letter signed by the 156 organizations.

June 14, 2022.

Hon. Carolyn Maloney,

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Raul Grijalva,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairwoman Maloney and Congressman Grijalva: As a

group of 156 organizations committed to advancing equality

and opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,

queer, intersex, and other sexual and gender diverse

(LGBTQI+) people in the United States, we are writing to

voice our enthusiastic support for the amendment in the

nature of a substitute and passage of the LGBTQI+ Data

Inclusion Act (H.R. 4176).

The LGBTQ Data Inclusion Act, as introduced, would

facilitate the collection of voluntary, self-disclosed

demographic data on sexual orientation and gender identity

across federal surveys. The amendment in the nature of a

substitute would add variations in sex characteristics (also

known as intersex traits) to the data voluntarily collected,

and would accordingly change the bill title to the LGBTQI+

Data Inclusion Act. Collecting this information in federally

supported surveys (such as the Current Population Survey and

National Health Interview Survey) is essential to improving

the well-being of LGBTQI+ populations across key areas of

life. For example, although data are limited, research

indicates that LGBTQI+ communities experience disparities

across multiple domains of life compared to non-LGBTQI+

populations. This includes evidence of higher rates of

poverty, unemployment, and economic instability experiences

of homelessness and housing insecurity; worse mental and

physical health outcomes; heightened barriers to access

adequate health care, and widespread experiences of

discrimination. Due to the intersecting forces of racism,

xenophobia, ableism, ageism, and transphobia, for LGBTQI+

communities of color, LGBTQI+ people with disabilities,

LGBTQI+ older adults, and transgender people, these

disparities are often even more pronounced. LGBTQI+-inclusive

data collection is a critical tool to better identify and

address these disparities and to promote more equitable

outcomes and opportunities for LGBTQI+ communities.

Currently, most surveys fielded by the federal government

not collect data on sexual orientation, gender identity, or

variations in sex characteristics. For example, although some

surveys, such as the decennial census and American Community

Survey, ask questions that allow for the identification of

cohabitating same-sex couples, it is estimated that only 1 in

6 LGBTQ individuals are captured by those kinds of questions.

Although progress has been made in recent years, the overall

lack of routine data collection on sexual orientation, gender

identity, and variations in sex characteristics poses a

significant obstacle for policymakers, researchers, service

providers, and advocates dedicated to improving the wellbeing

of LGBTQI+ communities, especially those living at the

intersection of multiple marginalized identities.

The federal government collects survey data on a wide range

of subjects and populations and is uniquely positioned to

engage in LGBTQI+-inclusive data collection to generate

accurate, consistent, and representative data at a scale that

allows for the disaggregation necessary to describe the

diversity of LGBTQI+ communities. As demonstrated in the

recent consensus report by the National Academies, questions

about sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in

sex characteristics can and should be added to federally

supported surveys. By doing so, federal agencies can take

meaningful steps to fulfill the Biden-Harris administration's

priorities to promote equity for LGBTQI+ and other

underserved communities through various actions, including

but not limited to expanding data collection efforts.

Passage of this bill is essential to better understand the

experiences of LGBTQI+ communities, generate policy solutions

that are inclusive of LGBTQI+ people and their needs, and to

evaluate the effectiveness of those policies to reduce

disparities and advance equity. Again, we strongly support

the amendment in the nature of a substitute for the LGBTQI+

Data Inclusion Act (H.R. 4176) and urge Congress to quickly

take up and adopt this important proposal.

Thank you for your consideration. Please do not hesitate to

contact Caroline Medina and Madeline Shepherd with any

questions.

Signed in partnership,

1Hood Power, A Better Balance, Ace and Aro Alliance of

Central Ohio, Advocates for Youth, AGE of Central Texas, AIDS

Action Baltimore, AIDS Alabama South, AIDS Foundation

Chicago, allgo, American Academy of HIV Medicine, American

Psychological Association, American Public Health

Association, American Trans Resource Hub, Amida Care, APLA

Health, Arizona Trans Youth and Parent Organization, Athlete

Ally, Atlanta Pride Committee, Austin LGBT Coalition on

Aging, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Believe Out Loud,

BiNet USA, Brooklyn Community Pride Center, Inc., Cathedral

of Hope United Church of

Christ, Center for American Progress, Center for Applied

Transgender Studies, Center for Black Equity, Center for

Disability Rights, Center for Economic and Policy Research,

Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP).

Center for Reproductive Rights, CenterLink: The Community

of LGBT Centers, Colors+, Compton's Table, Corktown Health,

Council for Global Equality, CrescentCare, Damien Center,

DBGM, Inc., Dolan Research International, LLC, Elton John

AIDS Foundation, Engel O'Neil Advertising & Public Relations,

Equality California, Equality Illinois, Equitas Health, Erie

County Dems LGBTQIA+ Caucus Erie Gay News, Family Eldercare,

Family Equality, Family Values @ Work, Fenway Health,

Freedom for All Americans, Gay Elder Circle, Georgia

Equality, GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD),

GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality,

GLSEN, GLSEN New Mexico, Health Equity Alliance for LGBTQ+

New Mexicans, HealthHIV, Hetrick-Martin Institute,

Hispanic Federation, HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute, HIV

Medicine Association, Howard Brown Health, Hugh Lane

Wellness Foundation, Human Rights Campaign, interACT:

Advocates for Intersex Youth, Jacobs Institute of Women's

Health.

John Snow, Inc., Justice in Aging, Kachemak bay Family

Planning, Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition, Lawrence, Lee McAvoy,

LMHC, Let's Kick ASS AIDS Survivor Syndrome, LGBTQ Center OC,

LGBTQ Community Center of Southern Nevada, LGBTQ Victory

Institute, LGBTQ+ & Equity Consulting, LLC, LGBTQ+ Spectrum

of Findlay, Los Angeles LGBT Center, Lyon-Martin Community

Health Services, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger,

Methodist Federation for Social Action, Michigan Organization

on Adolescent Sexual Health (MOASH), Minority Veterans of

America, Movement Advancement Project, Naper Pride, NASTAD,

National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Center for

Transgender Equality, National Coalition for LGBTQ Health,

National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), National

Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, National

LGBT Cancer Network, National LGBTQ Task Force, National

LGBTQ+ Bar Association, National Organization for Women,

National Women's Law Center, National Working Positive

Coalition.

New York Transgender Advocacy Group, North Carolina AIDS

Action Network, NW PA Pride Alliance, Inc., one-n-ten, Out &

Equal Workplace Advocates, one-n-ten, Out To Innovate, Out

Youth, OutCenter Southwest Michigan, OutNebraska, Outright

Vermont, PFLAG National, PGH Equality Center, Philanthrofund

Foundation, Positive Women's Network-USA, PowerOn, a program

of LGBT Technology Institute, PrEP4All, Prevention Access

Campaign, Pride at Work, Pride Center of New Jersey, Prism

United, Project Weber/RENEW, Resource Center, Roots of

Change, SAGE, SAGE Metro Detroit, San Diego Pride, SF LGBT

Center, SIECUS, Silver State Equality-Nevada, Still Bisexual,

The AIDS Institute, The Center on Colfax, Denver, CO, The

Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

The LGBT Center of Greater Reading, the Montrose Center,

The Source LGBT+ Center, The Trevor Project, The Well

Project, Thriving Mental Health Counseling NY PLLC, Trans

Maryland, Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT),

Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico, Transhealth

Northampton, Treatment Action Group, U.S. People Living with

HIV Caucus, Umoja Behavioral Health PC, Union for Reform

Judaism, University of Nevada Las Vegas, URGE: Unite for

Reproductive & Gender Equity, Vivent Health, Waves Ahead

Corp, We Are Family, Whitman-Walker Institute, Woodhull

Freedom Foundation, YWCA USA.

Madam Speaker, I ask the gentleman if he is prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, the three bills in this rule have the potential to transform the health and opportunities of millions of Americans.

The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act reauthorizes and establishes 35 critical programs that provide access to mental health care and substance use disorder treatment across the country.

Recognizing the benefits of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, this bill promotes behavioral health integration into primary care through increased access to telehealth as part of the pediatric mental health care access grant program reauthorization.

The bill also requires self-funded, non-Federal governmental healthcare plans to comply with mental health parity laws. Mental health care is healthcare, and it is time we treat it as such.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Health Act will jump-start our Nation's investment in medical research and innovation. I am privileged to represent part of North Carolina's Research Triangle Park and see the breakthroughs that happen there. By establishing and funding ARPA- H, we ensure that research like this will continue, that more people will be able to access groundbreaking treatments and cures, and that our Nation remains a leader in medical innovation.

The LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act will equip our government agencies with the data they need to reduce barriers and challenges facing this community. Good data helps us make good policy. Without data, we are forced to legislate blindly and guess at solutions to close disparities.

Madam Speaker, I note that the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act does not mandate that anyone disclose information about their gender identity or sexual orientation. Under this bill, individuals choose whether to share that information or not.

This bill, which we take up during Pride Month, will help us ensure the LGBTQI+ community is represented in policies aimed at closing disparities and helping underserved groups.

Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous question.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1191, I call up the bill (H.R. 7666) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize certain programs relating to mental health and substance use disorders, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and add extraneous material on H.R. 7666.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7666, the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, and I thank Ranking Member Rodgers for working with me these past few months to develop this comprehensive legislation that will help address the mental health and substance use disorder crisis facing millions of Americans.

This bill is needed today more than ever. Americans report rising anxiety and depression and increased use of alcohol, opiates, and other substances. One in five adults are battling a mental illness. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for children ages 10 to 14, and earlier this year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report finding that 4 in 10 high school students said they felt persistently sad or hopeless during the COVID-19 pandemic. The opioid crisis also continues to devastate families and communities all around the Nation. 108,000 people lost their lives due to drug overdoses just last year alone.

The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act will help restore hope for millions of Americans. The bill strengthens and expands more than 30 critical programs that collectively support mental health care and substance use disorder prevention, care, treatment, and recovery support services in communities across the Nation.

As the Nation prepares for the launch of the 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline dialing code next month, H.R. 7666 provides key crisis response efforts, establishing the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Behavioral Health Crisis Coordination Office and requiring the development of crisis response best practices. The legislation also continues investments in critical mental health and substance use services block grant funding to States, territories, and Tribes.

The Restoring Hope Act includes crucial provisions to meet the challenges of the Nation's opioid epidemic, expanding and ensuring timely patient access to lifesaving treatment for opioid use disorders through the elimination of barriers to treatment. It includes Representative Tonko's MAT Act, which eliminates the X-waiver, a burdensome registration requirement that establishes arbitrary caps on the number of patients a provider can treat for opioid use disorder using buprenorphine.

This bill also establishes a one-time, 8-hour training requirement on treating and identifying substance use disorders that providers must complete

before their first registration or renewal of a license to dispense controlled substances.

H.R. 7666 also helps bolster the behavioral health workforce capacity and training. It also increases access to mental health and substance use disorder care and coverage by applying the mental health parity law to State and local government workers, such as teachers and frontline workers.

The legislation also supports the mental health of children and young people. It continues investment in the integration of behavioral health into pediatric primary care through Pediatric Mental Health Access Grants and enhances research at the National Institutes of Health on the cognitive, physical, and socioemotional impacts of modern technology and multimedia on infants, children, and adolescents.

I can't stress enough that this is an epidemic that focuses a lot on children and adolescents. Older youth need help with suicide prevention and other mental health support and substance use disorder services. Students in higher education need that help, and they get it through a program called the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act.

The bill also ensures that State Medicaid programs have resources to implement and strengthen school-based mental health services while preserving the continuity of coverage for justice-involved youth. These important provisions will increase children's access to care.

Mr. Speaker, the scope and reach of this bipartisan legislation--and I stress that. This was reported out of the Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously, Mr. Speaker. It is truly bipartisan. It is going to help to support the mental health and well-being of millions of Americans, their families, and communities for years to come.

I thank Members on both sides of the aisle, not only Ranking Member Rodgers, but the subcommittee leadership as well, both Democrat and Republican.

The reason that we try to do this on a bipartisan level and get everybody's support is because we have a good chance of passing this in the Senate, which is also acting on similar legislation. We are hopeful that as a result of a large vote today, that will spur the Senate into action, and we can actually get this bill signed into law.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on the Judiciary,

Washington, DC, June 10, 2022.

Hon. Frank Pallone, Jr.,

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Pallone: This letter is to advise you that

the Committee on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to

review the provisions in H.R. 7666, the ``Restoring Hope for

Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022,'' that fall within

our Rule X jurisdiction. I appreciate your consulting with us

on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee has no objection

to your including them in the bill for consideration on the

House floor, and to expedite that consideration is willing to

forgo action on H.R. 7666, with the understanding that we do

not thereby waive any future jurisdictional claim over those

provisions or their subject matters.

In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar

legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the

right to request an appropriate number of conferees to

address any concerns with these or similar provisions that

may arise in conference.

Please place this letter into the Congressional Record

during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank

you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked

regarding this matter and others between our committees.

Sincerely,

Jerrold Nadler,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), who chairs our Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes), who has been involved with these health and behavioral issues for a long time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko), who chairs our Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. O'Halleran), a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Kuster), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the House majority leader.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from

Washington (Ms. Schrier), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell), a member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Fletcher), who is also a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Madam Speaker, I just wanted to stress that H.R. 7666 includes programs focused on supporting youth mental health.

I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership on this issue. In fact, H.R. 7666 includes programs focused on supporting youth mental health including due to such traumatic events that were mentioned by the gentlewoman.

The SAMHSA Garrett Lee Smith State/Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention Program, for instance, and HRSA's Pediatric Mental Health Care Access program, which helps integrate behavioral health into pediatric primary care, extends resources to support Project AWARE, building student, families, and school behavioral health resiliency. Further, the bill provides support to complement SAMHSA's launch of the new 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline dialing code next month that will expand access to crisis care support through call, text, or chat functions for millions of Americans.

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Let me just add, I am pleased to work with the gentlewoman from Texas on this critical matter.

I thank her for her support in ensuring children and families have access to the mental health support and services they need to lead healthy and hopeful lives.

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Levin).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).

Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Let me just reiterate what the ranking member said. This was really a bipartisan bill. I thank Mrs. Rodgers, Mr. Guthrie, Ms. Anna Eshoo, and all the staff that worked so hard on this legislation.

It is important that we have as big a vote as possible because this bill has a real chance of passing the Senate and getting to the President's desk and will really address the mental health and substance abuse concerns that we have and the crisis that we have. So I urge everyone to vote ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution No. 1191, I rise to offer amendments en bloc No. 1.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the eight mental health amendments under this en bloc consideration. Collectively, these amendments further strengthen the bipartisan nature of the underlying comprehensive bill, the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022.

I thank my colleagues for their leadership and contributions to furthering the health of the American people and wish to speak in strong support of their adoption into H.R. 7666.

Many of these amendments, Madam Speaker, include provisions from bills that previously passed the House this Congress on suspension that the Senate has yet to act upon.

I am pleased that we have the opportunity to, once again, emphasize their importance by including them in this crucial legislative package.

The amendment offered by Congressman Bera and Congressman Fitzpatrick is just such an amendment. Like the bill it reflects, the HERO Act, which passed the House last year, it will improve data collection and services to ensure our first responders and public safety officers receive the mental health care services they need.

Additionally, Congresswoman Napolitano and Congressman Katko submitted an amendment which extends and revises SAMHSA's Project AWARE program providing school-based mental health services, including screening, treatment, and outreach programs, provisions that likewise passed the House last year in H.R. 721, the Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2021.

Representatives Katko and Napolitano were also joined by Congressmen Beyer, Raskin, Cardenas, and Fitzpatrick in offering an additional amendment that includes provisions from H.R. 2981, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act of 2021, which also passed the House last year.

The amendment extends funding for SAMHSA's Lifeline--crucial in this Nation's moment of mental health crisis, supporting crisis care response and support as we prepare for the launch of the new 988 dialing code next month.

I appreciate the additional focus on the particular needs of certain communities in our country that several amendments add to the underlying bill.

I thank Representatives Reschenthaler, Morelle, Wild, and Dean for their amendment requiring a study to determine the true cost of untreated serious mental illness on families, healthcare systems, public housing, and law enforcement in America.

In addition, we certainly cannot do enough to support the men and women who have valiantly served our Nation in the Armed Forces.

I thank Congressman Joyce for his amendment that requires the Department of Defense to carry out a 2-year pilot program aimed at preventing suicides amongst Active-Duty members of the Armed Forces.

I also appreciate and support the amendment submitted by Congressman Feenstra requiring the new Behavioral Health Crisis Coordinating Office established within SAMHSA by H.R. 7666, to provide technical assistance and support to the Veterans Crisis Line.

Further, Madam Speaker, I support the mental health and well-being of those who are pregnant or postpartum. The amendment offered by Congresswoman Moore makes important improvements to the Maternal Mental Health Hotline authorization to ensure those implementing the hotline consult with appropriate State, local, and Tribal public officials and those working with low-income people.

I am particularly pleased that H.R. 7666 would establish a new authorization for a Maternal Mental Health Hotline, and I appreciate Representative Moore's amendment that will serve to improve the underlying legislation.

Finally, Madam Speaker, while we know children in this country are facing a mental health crisis, unfortunately, we know that all too many also experience other chronic health challenges.

I am grateful to Representative Pressley for her amendment requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services conduct a study on the rates and risks of suicidal behaviors among youth with chronic illnesses and to provide Congress with recommendations for ways to provide early intervention, best practices, and strategies to address disparities.

I am pleased to support these amendments and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Pressley), who has one of the important amendments included in this en bloc.

Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1191, I rise to offer amendments en bloc No. 2.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this en bloc amendment. This package includes bipartisan bills and policies that will increase access to substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support services.

The amendment introduced by Representatives Rodney Davis, Bilirakis, O'Halleran, Wagner, and Kuster reflects H.R. 2355, the Opioid Prescription Verification Act of 2021, which has previously passed the House. The amendment, like the bill it is drawn from, encourages the use of e-prescribing for opioids and incentivizes States to maintain and utilize prescription drug monitoring programs.

Likewise, the amendment offered by Representatives Andy Kim and Davids also reflects a previously House-passed bill, H.R. 2364, the Synthetic Opioid Danger Awareness Act. Their amendment requires the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a public education campaign about synthetic opioids, including fentanyl and its analogues, and disseminate information about synthetic opioids to healthcare providers.

Continuing the theme of bipartisanship, Representatives McKinley and Dingell introduced an amendment that amends the Controlled Substances Act to clarify the process for registrants to exercise due diligence upon discovering a suspicious order. Like the prior amendments, this, too, is drawn from a prior House-passed bill, H.R. 768, the Block, Report, And Suspend Suspicious Shipments Act of 2021.

Further, the amendment offered by Representatives Trone, Armstrong, and Sherrill also draws from a prior House-passed bill extending a critical authorization for the State Opioid Response grants and Tribal Opioid Response grants for 5 years.

Another amendment introduced by Representatives Dean, Spartz, Scanlon, and Fitzpatrick reflects H.R. 5950, the Improving Patient Access to Care and Treatment Act. This amendment increases the time from 14 to 60 days that healthcare providers can hold long-acting injectable buprenorphine before administering it to a patient, giving patients and practitioners greater flexibility when accessing opioid use disorder treatment.

Finally, this amendment package includes an amendment offered by Representative Gottheimer that would ensure that veterans are included within the crisis response continuum of best practices included in H.R. 7666.

I thank the sponsors of these provisions. These bipartisan amendments provide strong tools to address the ongoing overdose crisis and will save lives. I urge my colleagues to support this package of amendments and include them in the overall bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, but I do not oppose the amendment.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this amendment. Like the bill that passed the House last year, H.R. 2877, and other House-passed provisions we hope to include through amendment into the Restoring Hope Act, this bipartisan amendment is part of the bipartisan approach Ranking Member Rodgers and I have taken since day one with this critical bill.

This amendment requires the Secretary to consult with a range of experts, including mental health and education professionals, to develop best practices for schools and universities to establish behavioral intervention teams to identify concerning behaviors and manage risks among students. The guidance must determine how these teams can operate effectively while relying on evidence-based, objective protection of the constitutional and civil rights of students and staff.

Madam Speaker, I understand that some disability and civil rights organizations have concerns about the provisions of this amendment and opposed the original bill. I agree that we must be sensitive to the concerns of these organizations and not inadvertently perpetuate a false association of psychiatric disability and gun violence, nor promote the preemptive use of law enforcement to address problematic student behaviors, particularly among students with disabilities and/or students of color, who are already disproportionately excessively disciplined compared to their peers.

At the same time, I think there is merit to the idea of teams of behavioral health specialists working in concert with educators to identify youth and college students who may be at risk of harming themselves or others and making sure they get the support they need.

This bill has passed the full House twice, as I said, on suspension, both this Congress and last Congress. My understanding is that the bill's sponsors have made changes when reintroducing the bill this Congress to address some of the stakeholders' concerns by including more robust privacy protections and inappropriate referral protections. I think these changes improve the bill.

I understand the stakeholders would like to see additional changes, and as I have indicated in the past, I am committed to examining ways to address these concerns and add additional guardrails as the bill progresses through negotiations with our Senate counterparts, including this amendment for consideration for adoption into H.R. 7666, but we need to pass the amendment to allow those kinds of negotiations with the Senate.

I look forward to working closely with stakeholders, Congressman Ferguson, and the other original leads of H.R. 2877, and, of course, our ranking member, to strike the right balance that protects the health, privacy, and rights of all students.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for expressing his concerns relating to the MAT Act, but I respectfully disagree with his proposal.

First of all, I take issue with some of his characterizations regarding buprenorphine. Buprenorphine is not broadly available to all Americans who need it. In fact, only 1 in 10 individuals with opioid use disorder receive medications for their condition, including buprenorphine.

Over half of all rural counties in the United States do not have a single waivered buprenorphine provider, and 40 percent of all counties in the United States don't have a single waivered provider, according to the HHS-OIG.

This is a huge treatment gap. A treatment gap for opioid use disorders means lives are lost every day unnecessarily when there is treatment available. This is tragic and not acceptable.

Second, the gentleman has made the argument that buprenorphine is not effective against fentanyl, but that is not accurate. Buprenorphine is proven to reduce fentanyl use and overdose deaths, according to the National Academies of Sciences Consensus Report on Medications for Opioid Use Disorders and the United States Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking.

Delaying the elimination of the X waiver to 2024 means extending the time in which a barrier to treatment is in place, leading to an increased risk of overdose and death.

It is clear that we are experiencing record numbers of overdose deaths in America. This is a public health emergency and needs to be addressed immediately.

Buprenorphine is a proven, evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder. Buprenorphine prevents painful withdrawal symptoms, reduces opioid cravings, and cuts the risk of overdose in half. This is due to buprenorphine's ceiling effect, which makes it nearly impossible to overdose on the medication. For these reasons, it is considered safer than commonly prescribed medications like insulin and blood thinners.

Madam Speaker, eliminating the X waiver is a cornerstone of the Restoring Hope Act. The MAT Act amendment to this package was adopted at markup by a vote of 45-10. It received support from the majority of Republicans and Democrats on the committee.

Further, nothing in this bill limits the ability of States to prepare and act on the overdose crisis.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself an additional 30 seconds.

To the contrary, this legislation empowers States to determine the appropriate training, licensing requirements, and tools for providers who dispense controlled substances and treat patients with substance use disorders. All the MAT Act does is remove an unnecessary and outdated Federal barrier to States effectively addressing the opioid overdose crisis.

If we don't act now, we risk tens of thousands of additional overdoses and unnecessary loss of life. I urge my colleagues to reject this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7666, the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act.

We are taking urgent action to help States and communities provide lifesaving mental health care to people in need, especially for our children and those suffering from severe mental illness.

I think about Austin, a 9-year-old boy who struggled to cope when his school was shut down, and his parents were going through a divorce. He was socially isolated and didn't know where to turn. When he confessed suicidal thoughts to his mom, they faced long waiting lists and no beds for the care that he needed.

Cases like Austin's can't be ignored. Parents, teachers, and medical professionals are talking about this everywhere I go.

In Spokane, Washington, we are seeing more violence in our schools and rising crime. Drug overdose deaths and fentanyl poisoning were up 300 percent last year. There is an overwhelming sense of despair, anxiety, fear, and isolation. This has been heightened by the horrific shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo. Especially for our children, we need to deliver hope and healing in every community in our country.

This bill will help children in crisis and improve school safety. For example, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is leading with Richard Hudson on a provision that will expand access to behavioral and mental health services to kids in schools.

It also includes a solution I led on with Congresswoman Young Kim to reauthorize the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, which supports community-based youth and young adult suicide prevention programs.

Like with Representative French Hill's solution in this, we are removing red tape, boosting treatment access, and making sure communities have resources to combat the substance use disorder epidemic in America.

More than 100,000 people are dying a year, and our communities are in desperate need of help to prevent, treat, and rescue people from overdoses and despair.

The priorities in this bill are targeted to responsibly address our most urgent needs so we can build stronger families, communities, and a brighter future. We are accomplishing this by stopping duplicative programs and cutting the deficit by $200 million. The bulk of the programs in this bill are block grants that have been successful in providing our States and communities with the resources and flexibilities to meet the specific and unique needs in combating mental illness and addiction while keeping the Federal Government out of the decisionmaking process for treatments and care.

By protecting charitable choice, we are also making sure faith-based and religious organizations are competing on an equal footing. This is a victory for conscience protections.

The provisions in this bill also support care for maternal mental health and substance use disorders, which are among the leading causes of death for pregnant and postpartum women. We are saving lives and caring for women at every stage of pregnancy and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge support for this legislation. I thank Chairman Pallone for his leadership and for working with us on solutions from our colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

While families and communities will lead the way to address the root causes of despair, isolation, violence, and overdose deaths that are tearing nearly every community apart and destroying people's lives, this bill takes an important step forward to help them in these efforts.

We are taking action to turn this despair into hope. Children like Austin in communities like mine in eastern Washington are counting on it. Let's

deliver today and keep building on this work.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer), who has led on important provisions for children in this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), our lead on the Subcommittee on Health.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), a leader on this issue, who sponsored the underlying bill that is incorporated in this package.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Tony Gonzales), whose community understands the importance of hope and healing like no other right now.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlemen from North Dakota (Mr. Armstrong), a leader on the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), a leader on the committee and on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim), who is a leader on a provision within the larger package.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter), who is a leader on the issue.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer).

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce), a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson).

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Bucshon).

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to again just express appreciation to the chairman of the committee, all the Members that have participated in helping bring this package of very important mental health proposals to the House today. I urge a strong ``yes'' vote.

As many have said, we have a mental health crisis. At a time when there is so much fear and anxiety and stress, we see increased suicide. We see drug overdoses, and it is time that we act, and act in a way that is really going to make a difference for America's families and our youth in particular.

Madam Speaker, I urge support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of the amendments offered en bloc. I rise today to express my strong support for this group of amendments. Included in this en bloc are important bills that have already overwhelmingly passed the House, including Representative Katko's Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act, which reauthorizes the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline program and ensures resources are available for the continued operation of the hotline, especially with 9-8-8 going live next month.

Representative Katko also has included in this en bloc the Mental Health Services for Students Act, which provides an authorization for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Project AWARE grant.

Project AWARE is a successful program which supports partnerships between the State and local systems in increasing awareness of mental health issues among school-aged youth; providing training for school personnel to detect and respond to mental health issues; and connecting students with behavioral health issues and their families to needed services.

The en bloc also includes the Reschenthaler amendment, which would authorize a study on the cost of untreated serious mental illness on families, the health system, the justice system, and the economy.

While very treatable, serious mental illness remains a neglected health issue, and I am hopeful that the data gleaned from this study will convince policymakers to do more to address this condition, including addressing the IMD exclusion.

This group of amendments demonstrates the good work Congress can do when both parties come together to find meaningful solutions to address mental health in America.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce).

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the amendments offered en bloc and yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for this group of amendments addressing substance use disorder.

Included in this en bloc are important bills that have already passed with overwhelming support, including Representative Rodney Davis' Opioid Prescription Verification Act, which incentivizes States to use prescription drug monitoring programs; requires certain controlled substances to be prescribed electronically; and directs Federal agencies to develop, disseminate, and periodically update training materials to help pharmacists identify and report potential cases of bad actors who attempt to illegally buy and sell controlled substances.

Also included is Representative David McKinley's Block, Report, And Suspend Suspicious Shipments Act, which places additional obligations on drug manufacturers and distributors to identify and stop suspicious orders of controlled substances.

We have seen a devastating increase in overdose deaths that I think should be called poisonings, teens buying one pill via Snapchat and immediately overdosing because of a small amount of fentanyl in those pills. Just because it looks like a pill and someone says it was from a pharmacy does not make it so. We need to do more to stop both diversion of legitimate medication and counterfeits that are devastating our communities.

These amendments are a good step in that direction, and I urge adoption.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. McKinley), who has been a longtime leader on the issues of substance abuse.

Madam Speaker, I claim the time in opposition, but I urge adoption of the amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise to urge adoption of the Demings amendment, which requires a report on the mental health issues experienced by law enforcement and the available resources or programs that are available to law enforcement officers to address mental health and stress.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, law enforcement officers report high rates of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders, with nearly one in four having considered suicide. In fact, more officers die from suicide than do in the line of duty.

The report will include recommendations to Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies on how to improve the mental health and well- being of our officers.

It is a necessary first step in helping us understand what resources are available to improve the mental health and wellness of law enforcement officials. Those risking their lives to keep America safe deserve passage of this amendment.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, as the designee of the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Ferguson), I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise to express my strong support for the Ferguson amendment, which would incorporate the language of the bipartisan, House-passed Behavioral Intervention Guidelines Act to the underlying package.

This important amendment authorizes the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop best practices for establishing and appropriately using behavioral intervention teams in schools.

Behavioral intervention teams are multidisciplinary teams that support students' mental health and wellness by identifying students experiencing stress, anxiety, or other behavioral disturbances, and conducting intervention and outreach to these students to help manage risk.

These teams are already active in some educational settings, such as Texas Tech and the University of California, Los Angeles.

By acting in a proactive manner to assist students and connecting them with needed resources, behavioral intervention teams help schools create a safe environment for their students and improve mental health outcomes in young people.

It is more important now than ever that schools and communities have guidance on how to provide behavioral health resources and interventions for their students to facilitate the early intervention and treatment of mental health conditions.

This amendment will help children get help before their conditions worsen or reach a crisis level. I strongly urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Griffith amendment which provides additional time for implementation of the provisions of the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act included in this bill.

I supported the inclusion of this language at committee, as I believe it will help increase access to substance use disorder treatment, the underlying language. However, enacting this language will be a huge policy change from the status quo.

Furthermore, States do regulate the practice of medicine, and each State has unique, individual regulations and procedures regarding the dispensing and the prescribing of scheduled narcotics. States could use the additional time to update their laws with any changes they may want now that Federal restrictions will be removed.

This is exactly what Mr. Griffith's amendment does. It sets the implementation date for removing the X waiver requirement to take effective on January 1, 2024.

Madam Speaker, I support this commonsense amendment that will ensure that the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act gets appropriately implemented.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, today's rule provides for consideration of three bills: H.R. 7666, the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act; H.R. 5585, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Health Act; and H.R. 4176, the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act.

Two of these bills represent the progress that can be achieved when we work together on legislation that is important to the American people. It underscores what can happen when we work together, regardless of party ideology. I do recognize the hard work that the members of the Committee on Energy and Commerce put into the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022.

This package is the first major effort put forth to address our Nation's mental health crisis since the lockdowns began for coronavirus. Following COVID-19 and the pandemic, we have seen a tremendous increase in the youth mental health conditions, suicides, and overdose deaths exacerbating the mental health crisis we already faced prior to the pandemic.

This bill maintains the flexibility for States to make funding decisions that best addresses the needs of their communities. The spending in this bill--and this is important--the spending in this bill is fully offset and targets funding toward the treatment of serious mental health conditions instead of generalized wellness programs that may not have an impact.

Included in this package is the Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Act of 2022. That is actually a bill that I introduced with Representatives Yvette Clarke, Jaime Herrera Beutler, Young Kim, and Doris Matsui. Our bill authorizes and funds existing programs to help those impacted by maternal mental health conditions. Substance use disorders and mental health conditions are among the top leading causes of death for women who are pregnant and recently pregnant.

When I was a resident at Parkland Hospital in the 1970s, the top three causes of maternal mortality: hemorrhage, preeclampsia, or hypertension. Now, the preeminent causes are suicide and drug overdose--entirely preventable causes of maternal mortality. This bill will help us address that. So I am very encouraged to see that move across the finish line.

I also supported an amendment by Representative Drew Ferguson to include the Behavioral Health Interventions Guidelines Act--he likes to call it the BIG Act. Representative Ferguson and I actually introduced that as a standalone bill, but this amendment was made in order during the Committee on Rules yesterday.

The BIG Act passed the House last year with broad support. It requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to develop best practices for schools to establish behavioral health intervention teams.

I heard from one of my colleges in Texas, Texas Tech University out in Lubbock. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center brought to me their successful program to provide training for behavioral health intervention and schools in West Texas.

You know, sometimes in school, it is no secret who the kid is that is getting into trouble, the kid who is actually self-identified. And this is a way to provide the guidelines for that behavioral intervention that can be life-changing and lifesaving.

By establishing these behavioral intervention teams, the BIG Act helps to encourage prevention measures and interventions before youth mental conditions worsen or become even more serious. Unfortunately, we continue to see the consequences of not addressing mental health issues.

This rule also contains H.R. 5585, the Advanced Research Project Agency-Health Act, or ARPA-H. ARPA-H is modeled after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency in Energy.

The goal is to bring a greater focus on the research and development of our greatest healthcare challenges in areas where the private biopharmaceutical companies are unlikely to explore for scientific or business reasons.

ARPA-H was initially authorized in fiscal year 2022 in the omnibus budget and placed within the National Institutes of Health. But placing ARPA-H within another department of the Department of Health and Human Services risks its independence, and its independence is its entire reason for being. Without its independence, I don't know that ARPA-H would have the ability to foster innovation. But this bill secures ARPA-H as an agency independent of the influence of the rest of the executive branch. And that is important.

With significant Republican input, we ensure that this legislation also is fiscally responsible. We also make certain that the goal and mission of this agency is focused on research and development and provides accountability for this new research agency when submitting feedback from projects supported by the agency, as well as prohibiting the Federal funding to China and to Russia.

The bipartisan manager's amendment also ensures that the number of offices is cut from 14 to 6--what I call bureaucratic streamlining--and at least two of those six offices are actually dedicated to research and development and the administrative costs of the agency--and this is extremely important--the administrative costs are capped at 15 percent.

ARPA-H will provide the ability to focus on high-risk transformative technologies to improve healthcare and healthcare outcomes for all Americans.

The final bill that we are considering today requires federally administered surveys to collect information on sexual orientation and gender identity. The list of surveys affected by this bill is over 130 and it does include the every-10-year Census.

The information requested by this bill is deeply personal and involves a person's internal state of being. I have to point out that the Federal Government does not have a good track record of protecting Americans' private information, as evidenced by data breaches over the last several years.

The final concern with this bill is it is asking about very personal information without a clear statutory or regulatory need, but still we are prohibited from asking a person's citizenship status. I don't think I need to say any more about that.

Madam Speaker, I urge opposition to the rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, Republicans will immediately amend the rule to consider H.R. 471, the PAUSE Act, introduced by Representative Yvette Herrell. This bill would prohibit President Biden from rescinding title 42 authority, the public health order that allows for undocumented migrants to be immediately expelled.

This bill would provide for the stringent enforcement of title 42 and prohibit the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services from weakening its implementation.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of this amendment into the Record along with extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Madam Speaker, here to explain the amendment is our newest Member of the United States House of Representatives, newest member of the Republican Conference, newest member of the Texas delegation, Mayra Flores, sworn in last night on June 21, after winning the special election in the 34th District in the State of Texas. Our colleague Filemon Vega had vacated that seat.

Important to note here, she is the first Mexican-born woman elected to Congress--the first. Her husband is a Customs and Border Protection officer, giving her a firsthand understanding of the crisis on our southern border. She began her working life in the cotton fields near Memphis, Texas, and is now representing a Texas community in Congress.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas, (Mrs.

Flores), our newest Member, to explain her amendment.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, we have two bills included in this rule that enjoy bipartisan support. They have come through regular order in committee. They had legislative hearings. They had subcommittee markups. They had full committee markups. All Members were able to participate, and all Members were able to be heard. This is the way it should be done.

The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act will help Americans struggling with mental health issues that have been exacerbated by the lockdowns of the coronavirus.

Establishing ARPA-H as an independent agency--so critical--will allow for innovative, transformative health technologies and treatments that will benefit all Americans.

Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. There does not appear to be a statutory or regulatory justification for requiring Federal surveys to collect information on an individual's gender and sexual identity. If we are going to ask about gender identity, we should also be asking about citizenship.

Madam Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on the previous question and a ``no'' vote on the rule. I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1191, I call up the bill (H.R. 4176) to improve Federal population surveys by requiring the collection of voluntary, self- disclosed information on sexual orientation and gender identity in certain surveys, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on the bill before us.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4176, the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act. This historic bill takes the long overdue step of ensuring that Federal agencies collect data on sexual orientation, gender identity, and variation in sex characteristics so that the Federal Government can better understand and serve America's LGBTQI+ communities.

We are considering this legislation at a critical time. Across the United States, the rights of the LGBTQI+ people are under attack and the health and safety of LGBTQI+ people are under threat. From the limited data currently available, we understand

that LGBTQI+ people disproportionately experience poverty, housing insecurity, adverse physical and mental health outcomes, discrimination, and more. For example, according to the Williams Institute, more than one in five LGBTQI+ people live in poverty. According to the American Psychiatric Association, LGBTQI+ people are 2.5 times more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and substance abuse than people who are heterosexual.

There is also an epidemic of violence against transgender and gender- nonconforming people across the U.S.--an epidemic that killed more than 50 people last year.

The LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act, introduced by my friend and chair of the Natural Resources Committee, Raul Grijalva, would close many longstanding gaps in the collection of data pertaining to our Nation's LGBTQI+ communities. By ensuring that Federal surveys collect data on sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics, this bill will equip Congress and Federal agencies with the information they need to better understand the specific challenges faced by the LGBTQI+ communities and help us develop equitable policy solutions.

This bill currently has 128 cosponsors. The legislation has also received overwhelming support from more than 200 civil rights, health, and scientific organizations and the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus.

This bill builds on the Biden administration's efforts to advance equity for LGBTQI+ populations, including by empowering Federal agencies to carry out the President's recently announced executive order to expand collection of Federal data pertaining to LGBTQI+ people.

The Biden administration issued a Statement of Administration Policy that strongly supports passage of the bill.

Importantly, under this bill answering questions about one's sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics would be entirely voluntary, and the bill also includes strong confidentiality and privacy protections. The design of this bill strikes a necessary balance between informing policymaking and protecting the personal information of LGBTQI+ people across the country.

Before I conclude, let me take a moment to acknowledge the importance of the House taking this historic step during Pride Month--a celebration of immeasurable contributions made by LGBTQI+ people in every aspect of American life and a reminder of our continued mission to ensure that every community in the United States is treated with equality and respect.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I point out to my good colleague that this year the National Academies put out a report which found that complete and accurate demographic information on the LGBTQI+ community should be standardized and collected. The report showed that only a limited number of Federal surveys collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity, and that none collect data on intersex populations.

This bill would greatly improve our data collection efforts. This would help ensure the Federal Government's programs and services can reach every person in the U.S. with the greatest effectiveness.

It would help us also to better address longstanding health and economic inequities for America's LGBTQI+ population. From the limited research currently available, we understand that LGBTQI+ people disproportionately experience poverty, housing insecurity, adverse physical and mental health outcomes, discrimination, and more. So collecting this data is critically important to ensure that our policies meet the needs of our LGBTQI+ constituents.

I will give one example of why this is so important. Without the collection of this data, States were not able to measure the impact of the pandemic on the LGBTQI+ individuals. They were completely left out of all medical surveys leaving pandemic response programs at risk of neglecting these individuals. It moves us to a more inclusive and equitable society.

Representative Raul Grijalva is the distinguished and outstanding chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources. He is the author of the original bill. I was proud to work with him, with the committee members to bring it to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished majority leader.

Madam Speaker, I respond to his statements on the citizenship status in saying that it should be collected with LGBT data.

I want to make it very clear that the citizenship question should not be part of this bill. Requiring that citizenship questions be included in this bill is a duplication and totally unnecessary.

The Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics already ask about citizenship status in two different surveys: the American Community Survey, and the Current Population Survey.

This data is collected in addition to the volumes of citizenship records collected and maintained by the Department of Homeland Security.

The Trump administration's efforts to add the citizenship question to the Census was a fear tactic, intended to discourage specific people from participating in the Census, and to exclude them from the count.

Requiring citizenship data collection on Federal surveys was, and always will be, about suppressing data sets and denying U.S. citizens and residents the representation and resources they need to contribute to their communities.

Now, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration's stated reasoning for adding the citizenship question was ``pretextual.''

Unlike the citizenship question, collecting data on sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics will allow individuals to receive the proper care and resources they need to thrive, while helping to combat the discrimination they face every day.

Unlike the citizenship question, these questions will be voluntary, and respondents' privacy will be vigorously protected.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), Chair of the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his extraordinary statement, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), the distinguished chief deputy whip.

I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

I thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) for introducing this important legislation. I am pleased that we were able to bring this bill before the House during Pride Month to show that we care about everyone in our country. We think everyone should be counted, everyone should be surveyed, and everyone's needs should be listened to.

I particularly thank the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus for their attention and work on this bill and the Committee on Oversight staff for all the work required to make this happen.

I am also very grateful to the more than 124 cosponsors, my colleagues here in this body, and more than 200 civil rights, health, and scientific organizations that have supported this bill

and affirm the need for comprehensive Federal data collection on members of the LGBTQI+ communities.

This bill, H.R. 4176, moves this country one step closer to equality and gives us the tools to see and support all of our communities, all of our constituents.

I again urge my colleagues to support this bill. I thank the leadership of this body, our Speaker, our majority leader, and our Caucus chair, all of whom have played a role in supporting this legislation and moving it to a vote today.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.