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S. 1945: Mental Health Reform Act of 2015

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S. 1945: Mental Health Reform Act of 2015

114th Congress · introduced 2015-08-05 · Health · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2015-08-05 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Mental Health Reform Act of 2015

Plain summary

Mental Health Reform Act of 2015 This bill creates the position of Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders to oversee the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Mental health programs are extended and training regarding mental health is expanded. SAMHSA must establish the National Mental Health Policy Laboratory and the Interagency Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee. This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the National Institute of Mental Health to translate evidence-based interventions and the best available science into systems of care. The Health Resources and Services Administration must support the creation and expansion of child psychiatry access programs. Certain mental health care professional volunteers are provided liability protection. Pediatric mental health subspecialists are eligible for National Health Service Corps programs. An underserved population of children or a site for training in child psychiatry can be designated as a health professional shortage area. SAMHSA must award primary care and behavioral health care integration grants to state entities to fund improvements in settings with integrated care. The Department of Health and Human Services must develop a model program and materials for training health care providers regarding the disclosure of the protected health information of patients with a mental illness. This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to conditionally expand coverage of mental health services.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Mental Health Reform Act of 2015

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] · 16 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Susan M. Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Boozman (R-AR), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Thom Tillis (R-NC)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA] reported raising $6.7 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong114-s1945 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114