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Regular Session, 2014
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 153
BY REPRESENTATIVE HENRY BURNS
CONGRESS: Memorializes the United States Congress to pass the Helping Families in
Mental Health Crisis Act of 2013
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to pass the2
Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2013.3
WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental4
illness is defined as "health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking,5
mood, or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or impaired6
function"; and7
WHEREAS, approximately sixty-one million five hundred thousand Americans8
experience mental illness in a given year; and9
WHEREAS, approximately thirteen million six hundred thousand Americans live10
with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression, or bipolar disorder;11
and 12
WHEREAS, more than eleven million Americans have severe schizophrenia, bipolar13
disorder, and major depression; and14
WHEREAS, one-half of all chronic mental illness begins by the age of fourteen; and15
WHEREAS, fewer than one-third of adults and one-half of children with a diagnosed16
mental disorder receive mental health services in a given year; and 17
WHEREAS, individuals living with mental health challenges and their families soon18
discover that the illness affects many aspects of their lives and that they need more than19
medical help; and20 HLS 14RS-612 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 153
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WHEREAS, many loved ones are left feeling hopeless in receiving effective and1
appropriate treatment for their family members who suffer from mental illness; and 2
WHEREAS, there is a need to better allocate current resources to focus on the most3
effective services and most severe mental illnesses; and4
WHEREAS, it is prudent to promote stronger interagency coordination, increase data5
collection on treatment outcomes, and raise efforts to drive evidence-based care; and6
WHEREAS, Congressman Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania has introduced the Helping7
Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2013 as H.R. 3717; and8
WHEREAS, the bill will create within the Department of Health and Human Services9
a new assistant secretary for mental health and substance-abuse disorders who would lead10
federal mental illness efforts, be responsible for promoting the medically oriented models11
of care adopted by the National Institute of Mental Health, and oversee the grant process12
while holding community centers accountable by ensuring they are meeting evidence-based13
standards; and14
WHEREAS, H.R. 3717 would push states to efficiently allocate funds towards15
modernizing mental illness state laws and raise support for community mental health centers16
and hospital psychiatric care; and17
WHEREAS, to address issues regarding the shortage of psychiatric professionals, the18
Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2013 would advance medical tools like tele-19
psychiatry which links primary physicians in underserved areas to psychiatric professionals20
in order to decrease the average span of time between an initial episode of psychosis for a21
patient and his preliminary evaluation and treatment procedures; and22
WHEREAS, H.R. 3717 would give physicians legal safe harbor to volunteer at23
understaffed mental health centers; and24
WHEREAS, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2013 will adjust25
the federal privacy law known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act,26
by allowing mental health professionals and families to share information about loved ones27
to promote more appropriate and effective treatment procedures.28 HLS 14RS-612 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 153
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby1
memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to pass the2
Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2013.3
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the4
presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Congress of the5
United States of America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional delegation.6
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Henry Burns HCR No. 153
Memorializes congress to pass the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2013.