Maloney Votes to Increase Mental Health Resources in Schools and Workplaces

Press Release

Today, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) voted to pass the Mental Health Matters Act to improve mental health care in schools and workplaces by creating programs to hire and retain mental health professionals, fund partnerships with local mental health care providers, and protect the rights of those seeking mental health care or accommodations. This legislation will take a significant step towards a health care system that treats mental health like any other care and provides accessible, affordable resources for people to access care. Rep. Maloney has consistently voted for legislation, including the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act, to improve mental health care in America.

"If we want to reduce the stigma around mental health and encourage people to seek care, we must make sure resources are accessible and affordable for the average American. Allowing people to easily access mental health care at their school or workplace would be an enormous step in the right direction," said Rep. Maloney. "I am proud to vote for the Mental Health Matters Act, which gives schools the funding they need to provide care for their students and strengthens protections for workers accessing care through their employers or insurers."

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Background on H.R. 7780, the Mental Health Matters Act:

H.R. 7780 was passed by a vote of 220-205.
The Mental Health Matters Act:
Creates grant programs to improve hiring and retention of school-based mental health care providers, particularly for elementary and secondary schools with the highest mental health needs.
Provides funding for schools to develop innovative partnerships with existing local trauma support and mental health systems.
Protects college students with disabilities by requiring higher education institutions to recognize existing documentation of a disability and publish more transparent disability accommodations policies.
Improves mental health services for Head Start students and staff by tasking the Department of Health and Human Services with identifying and implementing evidence-based mental health programs.
Strengthens protections for workers needing mental health care by the Department of Labor more authority to ensure employers fulfill their legal requirement to provide mental health and substance use disorder benefits.
Bans forced arbitration and requires fair court review standards for Americans who are improperly denied benefits through private, employer-sponsored health care plans.

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