March 5, 1999

Rep. Marge Roukema (R-N.J.) introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives in January calling for a national mental health advisory committee to study the effectiveness of federal and state health care systems in treating the mentally ill. At press time, the congresswoman, also a sponsor of the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity Act, was waiting for House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) to establish the advisory committee.

The killing of two U.S. Capitol Police officers last August and a recent killing on the New York City subway (Psychiatric News, February 5) by individuals with schizophrenia demonstrate the need for better mental health care in the United States, said Roukema in a press release.

"America is witnessing increased violence resulting from untreated mental illness and a failed policy of desinstitu-tionalization," said Roukema. "All too often, we hear of situations where an individual with a mental disorder has not received adequate treatment and has reacted violently and endangered himself or tragically taken the life of another. The tragedy that occurred last summer at the Capitol is emblematic of this problem."

She also noted that more than 1,000 homicides committed last year were attributable to the improper treatment of mentally ill individuals.

Jay Cutler, J.D., director of APA's Division of Government Relations, told Psychiatric News, "For too long, those suffering from serious mental illness have been subjected to gaps in treatment [and] that is unconscionable."

The new advisory panel would be charged with gathering information about the number of violent crimes related to mental illness, current gaps in federal and state policy on the issue, and the "general problem of mental illness," according to the press release.

The panel would also examine the need for states with outpatient commitment laws to share information when a severely ill inpatient is released to another state and the failure of the states and local communities to provide follow-up treatment.

The committee was also charged with coordinating information among the several congressional committees that address issues related to mental illness, including Ways and Means, Commerce, Veterans Affairs, and Appropriations, stated the press release.

The panel would be required to report its findings and legislative recommendations to Congress in one year.

Roukema and Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) proposed establishing such a panel last August, after officers Jacob Chesnut and John Gibson of the Capitol Police were fatally shot inside the Capitol.

The full text and status of the resolution is posted on the THOMAS Web site at Thomas.loc.gov; search on the bill number, H.Res. 19.-C.L.