GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ACTION ALERT
November 8, 2001
Aggressive Grassroots Campaign Needed NOW to Win Enactment for Mental Health Parity!
THE ISSUE AT HAND
The success of Senators Domenici and Wellstone in attaching parity to an appropriations bill now brings additional players into deciding the fate of mental health parity. In the face of likely House opposition to expanding parity beyond the partial protections in the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996, grassroots efforts of NASW members and other interested parities will be critical to its success.
A Conference Committee will provide the forum for deliberations on mental health parity. This Conference Committee, which is comprised of Senators and Representatives who serve on their chambers' respective Appropriations Committees, has been charged with task of resolving the differences between the House and Senate versions of the Labor-HHS-Education funding bills.
BACKGROUND
On November 6th, the Senate passed H.R. 3061, the FY 2002 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill by a vote of 89 to 10. And since the House of Representatives had already passed their version of H.R. 3061, on October 11th by a vote of 373 to 43, the measure proceeded to a conference committee to iron out the differences.
One of the major points of discussion involves mental health parity. Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Paul Wellstone (D-MN) successfully offered a mental health parity amendment during the Senate consideration of H.R. 3061. The Domenici-Wellstone Amendment, as passed by voice vote on October 30th, contains the entire text of S. 543, the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2001, which is a substantial expansion of mental health parity, far beyond that mandated by the 1996 Mental Health Parity Act.
TIMING
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee marked up S. 543 on August 1, 2001 and voted it out of committee unanimously. Given the events of September 11th, NASW is hopeful that the Senate will take up this bill soon given that the 1996 Act expired on September 30th. Although the House has yet to take action on H.R. 162, if the Senate passes S. 543, the House would likely discuss the matter.
ACTION NEEDED
NASW needs its members to contact their Representatives, especially those serving on the House Appropriations Committee (see list of targeted Representatives below), by 5pm EST on Wednesday, November 14th, in support of this critical issue.
Call 1-866-PARITY4 (1-866-727-4894) right now! This toll-free number, established by the Coalition for Fairness in Mental Illness Coverage, will connect you to the U.S. Capitol Switchboard, where you will be connected to the office of the specific Representative you request-- see list of below of targeted Representatives. Once you've been connected to an office, be sure to ask to speak with the "Mental Health Legislative Assistant" and deliver this message:
"I’m calling to urge the Representative to work with Labor-HHS Appropriations conferees to accept the Senate’s mental health parity amendment. This legislation will help families by banning arbitrary limits on needed mental health services."
Your immediate advocacy on this issue is vital to the re-establishment and expansion of mental health parity.
It is critical for you to talk with not only your Representative, but also any Representative from your state that appears on the target list below. Although only Members who serve on the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee will be the conferees, other House Members will play important behind-the-scenes roles in deliberations on mental health parity. Why? Three different committees of the House have jurisdiction over elements of mental health parity legislation: the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means. Those authorization committees are likely to be consulted as to their views on parity. The effort to legislate on an appropriations bill is unorthodox (though hardly unprecedented), but it is important to note to date, none of the three aforementioned Committees acted on the House parity bill, H.R. 162.
Talking points and a fact sheet are attached for your use; a detailed update on this issue is also available on the NASW web site at http://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/updates/default.htm.
If you need anything further regarding this issue, please contact Francesca Fierro O'Reilly, NASW Government Relations, at fforeilly@naswdc.org.
Targeted Representatives:
(If the Member has the word "Cosponsor" by their name, it means they have demonstrated their support of mental health parity by cosponsoring the House companion to S. 543, H.R. 162, the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity Amendments of 2001, sponsored by Representative Marge Roukema (R-NJ). Be sure to thank them for their cosponsorship!)
Alabama: Callahan (R); Aderholt (R); Cramer (D) Cosponsor
Arizona: Kolbe (R) Cosponsor; Pastor (D) Cosponsor
California: Cunningham (R); Farr (D) Cosponsor; Doolittle (R); Lewis (R); Pelosi (D) Cosponsor; Roybal-Allard (D) Cosponsor. Miller (D) Education & Workforce Ranking Democrat; Thomas (R) Ways & Means Chairman; Stark (D) Cosponsor/Ways & Means Subcmte Ranking Democrat
Connecticut: DeLauro (D) Cosponsor
Florida: Bill Young (R) Approp Cmte Chairman; Dan Miller (R); Boyd (D); Meek (D)
Georgia: Kingston (R)
Illinois: Jackson (D) Cosponsor; LaHood (R)
Indiana: Visclosky (D) Cosponsor
Iowa: Latham (R)
Kansas: Tiahrt (R)
Kentucky: Northup (R); Rogers (R)
Louisiana: Vitter (R); Tauzin (R) Commerce Chairman
Maryland: Hoyer (D) Cosponsor
Massachusetts: Olver (D) Cosponsor
Michigan: Knollenberg (R); Kilpatrick (D) Cosponsor; Dingell (D) Commerce Ranking Democrat
Minnesota: Sabo (D)
Mississippi: Wicker (R)
Missouri: Emerson (R)
New Hampshire: Sununu (R)
New Jersey: Frelinghuysen (R) Cosponsor; Rothman (D). Andrews (D) Cosponsor/Education & Workforce Sbcmte Ranking Democrat.
New Mexico: Skeen (R)
New York: Lowey (D) Cosponsor; Hinchey (D) Cosponsor; Serrano (D) Cosponsor; Sweeney (R); Walsh (R) Cosponsor. Rangel (D) Ways & Means Ranking Democrat
North Carolina: Price (D) Cosponsor; Taylor (R)
Ohio: Regula (R) Approp Sbcmte Chairman; Hobson (R); Kaptur (D) Cosponsor. Boehner (R) Education & Workforce Chairman; S. Brown (D) Cosponsor/Commerce Sbcmte Ranking Democrat.
Oklahoma: Istook (R)
Pennsylvania: Peterson (R); Sherwood (R); Fattah (D); Murtha (D);
Rhode Island: P. Kennedy (D) Cosponsor
South Carolina: Clyburn (D) Cosponsor
Tennessee: Wamp (R)
Texas: Granger (R); Bonilla (R) Cosponsor; DeLay (R); Edwards (D)
Virginia: Goode (I); Moran (D) Cosponsor; Wolf (R)
Washington: Dicks (D); Nethercutt (R)
West Virginia: Mollohan (D) Cosponsor
Wisconsin: Obey (D) Approp Cmte Ranking Democrat