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ADVOCATOR

Welcome to Advocator, the easiest way to make your views known to your Members of Congress on key issues affecting county authorities, behavioral health services, and people dealing with mental illness, substance use disorders and developmental disabilities.

Listed below are the bills in the current Congress that are high priorities for NACBHDD. We update information about these bills frequently so you can follow the legislative process. At appropriate times in the process you will also find letters we have drafted that you can send to your elected representatives with the click of a mouse. Or, you can print out our letters and use them as a sample as you draft your own. Either way, Advocator makes it as easy as possible to weigh in on important issues and let your voice be heard.

Click on a bill below for more information about the legislation. For some bills you will find prepared letters that you can e-mail to your Congressional representatives directly from this site. We will also post talking points for some bills so that you can create your own advocacy message. You will find contact information for delivery by mail, e-mail, fax or phone.

Remember to check back often. Thank you for using NACBHDD’s Advocator!

Important Bills


H 1424 - Position: Support
Author: Kennedy P
Relates to the Troubled Asset Relief Program to purchase mortgages and securities from financial institutions, troubled assets insurance, mortgage contracts, tenant protections, public disclosure, audits, FDIC authority, tax treatment of preferred stock of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac bought by a financial institution, executive compensation tax, renewable energy and transportation tax credits, energy conservation programs, alternative minimum tax, mental health and addiction parity and disaster relief.


H 2689 - Position: Support
Author: Rodriguez
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program for the provision of readjustment and mental health services to veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

H 3992 - Position: Support
Author: Scott R
Provides grants for the improved mental health treatment and services provided to offenders with mental illnesses.

H 5173 - Position: Support
Author: Ellison
Temporarily delays application of proposed changes to Medicaid payment rules for case management and targeted case management services.

H 5613 - Position: Support
Author: Dingell
Creates the Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008; extends certain moratoria and imposes additional moratoria on certain Medicaid regulations; provides Secretary of Health and Human Services shall not impose any restrictions relating to certain provisions if such restriction are more restrictive than those applied; makes an appropriation for the purpose of reducing fraud and abuse in the Medicaid program; provides for asset verification through access to information held by financial institutions.

H 5772 - Position:
Author: Murphy
Amends section 811 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act to improve the program under such section for supportive housing for persons with disabilities.

S 2304 - Position: Support
Author: Domenici
Enacts the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act of 2008; reauthorizes the Adult and Juvenile Collaboration Program Grants under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968; relates to improving procedures to identify and respond appropriately to incidents in which the unique needs of individuals with mental illnesses are involved, including law enforcement personnel training; requires a report regarding mentally ill offenders.

S 2578 - Position: Support
Author: Coleman
Temporarily delays application of proposed changes to Medicaid payment rules for case management and targeted case management services.

S 2819 - Position:
Author: Rockefeller
A bill to preserve access to Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program during an economic downturn, and for other purposes.

S 38 - Position: Support
Author: Domenici
Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a program for the provision of readjustment and mental health services to veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and for other purposes.

S 558 - Position: Support
Author: Domenici
Provides parity between health insurance coverage of mental health benefits and benefits for medical and surgical services.

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