← Back to Bills
S. 3476Senate117th Congress (2021-2023)In Committee

SUPPORT Act

Sponsored by Ben Ray LujánSen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM)
Introduced January 11, 2022

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 8, 2026 at 8:48 AM UTC

The SUPPORT Act directs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to ensure that mental health and substance‑use‑disorder services stay available during public‑health emergencies, such as pandemics. It adds new planning, reporting, and advisory‑council requirements to the Public Health Service Act, affecting SAMHSA, the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, and federal oversight committees.

Key Provisions

  • Amends the Public Health Service Act to require SAMHSA to support continued access to mental health and substance‑use‑disorder services during any declared public‑health emergency.
  • Mandates that SAMHSA’s strategic plan include a specific strategy for maintaining these services for at‑risk individuals during emergencies.
  • Adds a biennial reporting requirement describing SAMHSA’s activities to sustain mental health and substance‑use services in emergency response.
  • Requires the Assistant Secretary to issue a report within one year, based on advisory‑council feedback, with recommendations to improve service continuity during emergencies.
  • Orders the Government Accountability Office to deliver a report within three years on SAMHDA’s pandemic response, advisory‑council roles, changes in service delivery, and related support activities.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

January 11, 2022

View full timeline
SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

January 11, 2022

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

January 11, 2022

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode
Latest
Raw Text PDF XML
Introduced in SenateIssued January 11, 2022

II

117th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 3476

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 11 (legislative day, January 10), 2022

Mr. Luján (for himself, Ms. Collins, and Mr. Casey) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

A BILL

To provide for mental health and substance use disorder services in response to public health emergencies, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Securing Uninterrupted Pandemic Preparation Of Resources and Therapies Act or the SUPPORT Act.

2.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration services in response to public health emergencies

(a)

Authorities

Section 501(d) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa(d)) is amended—

(1)

by redesignating paragraphs (24) and (25) as paragraphs (25) and (26), respectively; and

(2)

by inserting after paragraph (23) the following:

(24)

support the continued access to, or availability of, mental health and substance use disorder services during, or in response to, a public health emergency declared under section 319, including in consultation with the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, as appropriate, in preparing for, and responding to, a public health emergency;

.

(b)

Strategic plan

Section 501(l)(4) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa(l)(4)) is amended—

(1)

in subparagraph (E), by striking and at the end;

(2)

in subparagraph (F), by striking the period and inserting ; and; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(G)

specify a strategy to support the continued access to, or availability of, mental health and substance use disorder services, including to at-risk individuals (as defined in section 2802(b)(4)), during, or in response to, public health emergencies declared pursuant to section 319.

.

(c)

Biennial report concerning activities and progress

Section 501(m) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa(m)) is amended—

(1)

by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (7) as paragraphs (5) through (8), respectively;

(2)

by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:

(4)

a description of the Administration’s activities to support the continued provision of mental health and substance use disorder services, as applicable, in response to public health emergencies declared pursuant to section 319;

; and

(3)

in paragraph (5), as so redesignated—

(A)

by redesignating subparagraphs (D) and (E) as subparagraphs (E) and (F), respectively; and

(B)

by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:

(D)

relevant preparedness and response activities;

.

(d)

Advisory councils

Not later than one year after the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use shall issue a report to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, reflecting the feedback of the advisory councils for the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and the Center for Mental Health Services, pursuant to section 502 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa–1), and including recommendations to improve the continued provision of mental health and substance use disorder services during a public health emergency declared under section 319 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 247d), and the provision of such services as part of the public health and medical response to such an emergency, consistent with title XXVIII of such Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh et seq.).

(e)

GAO report

Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on programs and activities of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to support the continued provision of mental health and substance use disorder services and related activities during the COVID–19 pandemic, including the provision of such services as part of the medical and public health response to such pandemic. Such report shall—

(1)

examine the role played by the advisory councils described in section 502 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa–1) and the National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory established under section 501A of such Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa–0) in providing technical assistance and recommendations regarding the activities to support the response of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to the public health emergency declared under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) with respect to COVID–19;

(2)

describe the manner in which existing awardees of mental health and substance use disorder programs altered delivery of services during such public health emergency; and

(3)

describe activities of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to support the response to such public health emergency, including through technical assistance, provision of services, and any flexibilities provided to such existing awardees.