Mental Health Access and Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2023 This bill authorizes FY2024 appropriations for the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Social Security Administration to (1) increase access to mental health care treatment and services, and (2) promote reporting of mental health information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. (This system is used to query federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial criminal history record information and other records to determine an individual's eligibility to receive, transfer, or possess firearms.)
To facilitate this, the bill authorizes an appropriation of $500 million for fiscal year 2024, targeting funds at the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Social Security Administration. The main objectives are to enhance the availability of mental health services and to support the reporting of relevant mental health information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Such measures could potentially impact the gun purchasing eligibility of individuals with certain mental health conditions.
House Bill 46, titled the 'Mental Health Access and Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2023', aims to address gun violence through increased access to mental health care treatment. The bill recognizes that suicide represents the majority of gun-related deaths in the United States, accounting for over 60% of such fatalities. It highlights the link between mental illness and both victimization and perpetration of violence, positing that better mental health care could alleviate some factors associated with gun violence.
Despite its intent to reduce gun violence, the bill may encounter opposition from various factions. Concerns might arise regarding the privacy of individuals with mental health conditions and the implications of governmental reporting on their eligibility to purchase firearms. Critics might argue that the bill could stigmatize mental illness further and overlook the systemic issues contributing to gun violence, focusing narrowly on mental health as a variable. The discussions surrounding HB46 will likely address these contentions, weighing public safety against the rights and treatment of individuals with mental health challenges.