Once July ends, Congress takes nearly the entire month of August off to focus on constituent work back home. That is why it is so important for NABITA’s members to contact their senators now and voice their support for the BIG Act, S. 1383. Co-sponsorships can only be added when Congress is in session, so once August comes, any additional Senators who want to support the BIG Act will have to wait until September to join officially. So do not delay; contact your senators today! For your convenience, NABITA has created a member activation page with a draft of a sample email and all the information you need to reach out.
In other news, NABITA is pleased to announce that it has recently endorsed S.662 – ATTAIN Mental Health Act, led by Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Senator Tina Smith (D-WI). The bill would establish an interactive, web-based dashboard to allow potential applicants from a variety of sectors across our communities – such as state and local educational agencies, nonprofits, faith and community-based organizations, mental health treatment facilities, municipal governments, or first responders – to review eligibility and status information for federal mental health grant funding across multiple agencies. The legislation would task HHS with developing this online tool in a collaborative federal interagency effort. If passed, this bill would make it easier for organizations to locate grants that HHS is offering.