Last night, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) voted for, and the U.S. House of Representatives passed, the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 by a vote of 402 to 20. This legislation includes a Feenstra-sponsored amendment that requires the Behavioral Health Crisis Coordinating Office – whose creation is authorized as part of this comprehensive package – to include the Veterans Crisis Line as an entity to provide rapid, post-crisis follow-up care to veterans who need it.

More broadly, this comprehensive legislation reauthorizes and strengthensfederal programs and grants to support mental and behavioral wellbeing, while also expanding access to opioid and other substance abuse disorder treatments and recovery support services.

“Our families, veterans, and communities deserve quality healthcare,” said Rep. Feenstra. “Mental health should be treated just like physical health, and I am proud that we can work in a bipartisan way to expand critical programs that support our children, our families, and our veterans. I will continue to advocate for greater investments in our mental healthcare infrastructure – particularly in rural Iowa – so that every American who needs lifesaving support can get it as quickly as possible. This legislation is an important step in the right direction.”

Last October, Feenstra sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough over concerns that veterans seeking a mental health appointment must wait an average of 27 days, prompting his work to include his Veterans Crisis Line amendment to the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022. In his letter, he urged the VA to ensure that rural veterans have access to prompt, quality mental and behavioral healthcare when they need it.

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