Murphy’s mental health legislation could be headed to the finished line

Nov. 29--After three years of work, U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy's sweeping mental health reform bill could be on its way to finally passing Congress.

In a Friday statement, Murphy, R-18, Upper St. Clair Township, said his Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act and another bill on biomedical research had been approved as the 21st Century Cures reform package.

Murphy called the development a "landmark moment" that would lead to more evidence-based care for Americans at the highest risk or showing symptoms of serious mental illness.

Under Murphy's provisions, highlights include creating an assistant secretary of mental health and substance use in the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory, increasing funding for outpatient treatment programs, strengthening and expanding the mental health workforce, increasing access to treatment for women, children and adolescents, and providing treatment for incarcerated individuals before they re-enter society and training for police to calm crisis situations with those who are mentally ill.

Murphy is slated to testify Tuesday before the House Rules Committee on his legislation and the House is expected to vote on the package on Wednesday. If it passes the House, the bill could be voted on by the Senate next week, according to Murphy's office.

Prompted by the mental health issues of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre perpetrator in December 2012, Murphy introduced his legislation a year later to address the shortfall in treatment for those suffering from serious mental health issues.

Murphy's bill went before the full House in July where it passed 422-2, but the Senate did not act on it. The legislation was then coupled with the biomedical bill in a health-care reform package last week and announced Friday.

Murphy said in his statement that he and supporters "didn't get everything we needed, but we needed everything we got." He also vowed to keep fighting for treatment for those in need before tragedies strike.

"It couldn't be more fitting that we've reached this bipartisan agreement between the House and Senate at the close of Thanksgiving week," Murphy said. "I am tremendously grateful for everyone who joined in the cause because we wouldn't be here if not for the unwavering efforts of the of the families, caregivers, providers and organizations that worked tirelessly to fix our broken mental health system.

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