This post has been archived and contains information that may be out of date.
On June 25, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act – which aims to reduce gun violence and expand access to behavioral health services — into law.
The legislation passed by the Senate with a vote of 65-33, with 15 Republicans joining all 50 Democrats in favor of the measure, and a vote of 234-193 in the House of Representatives, with 14 Republicans voting with Democrats in support of the measure.
The bill contains numerous health care-focused provisions, including expanding access to community-based behavioral health services, broadening the use of tele-behavioral health through the Medicaid program, and investing nearly $1 billion in appropriations to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to support clinicians, patients, and communities in expanding access to services.
Among other provisions, the bill includes enhanced background checks for the purchase of firearms, $750 million to states for “crisis intervention programs, and significant funding for school safety efforts.
