H.R. 1533: Improving Access to Mental Health Act

116th Congress · introduced 2019-03-05 · Health · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-03-05 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-13] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
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

Improving Access to Mental Health Act

Plain summary

Improving Access to Mental Health Act This bill increases the Medicare reimbursement rate for clinical social worker services. The bill excludes clinical social worker services from the prospective payment system in which predetermined amounts form the basis for payment under Medicare. Additionally, the bill alters the definition of clinical social worker services as it relates to Medicare. Under current law, such services (1) include services performed for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses, and (2) exclude services furnished to an inpatient of a skilled nursing facility as a condition of the facility's participation in the Medicare program. The bill repeals these provisions and instead specifies that such services include certain types of health behavior assessment and intervention.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), 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

Improving Access to Mental Health Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-13] · 29 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Darren Soto (D-FL), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Terri A. Sewell (D-AL), Susie Lee (D-NV), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Mike Thompson (D-CA), Ed Case (D-HI), John B. Larson (D-CT), Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Paul Tonko (D-NY)

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 (1)

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).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hr1533.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>

Record fed-us-cong116-hr1533 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116