§1667c. Substance abuse and mental health services Administration grants

(a) Grant applications

(1) Efficiency of grant application process

The Secretary, acting through the Administration, shall carry out such measures as the Secretary determines to be necessary to maximize the time and workload efficiency of the process by which Indian tribes and tribal organizations apply for grants under any program administered by the Administration, including by providing methods other than electronic methods of submitting applications for those grants, if necessary.

(2) Priority for certain grants

(A) In general

To fulfill the trust responsibility of the United States to Indian tribes, in awarding relevant grants pursuant to a program described in subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall take into consideration the needs of Indian tribes or tribal organizations, as applicable, that serve populations with documented high suicide rates, regardless of whether those Indian tribes or tribal organizations possess adequate personnel or infrastructure to fulfill all applicable requirements of the relevant program.

(B) Description of grant programs

A grant program referred to in subparagraph (A) is a grant program-

(i) administered by the Administration to fund activities relating to mental health, suicide prevention, or suicide-related risk factors; and

(ii) under which an Indian tribe or tribal organization is an eligible recipient.

(3) Clarification regarding Indian tribes and tribal organizations

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in applying for a grant under any program administered by the Administration, no Indian tribe or tribal organization shall be required to apply through a State or State agency.

(4) Requirements for affected States

(A) Definitions

In this paragraph:

(i) Affected State

The term "affected State" means a State-

(I) the boundaries of which include 1 or more Indian tribes; and

(II) the application for a grant under any program administered by the Administration of which includes statewide data.

(ii) Indian population

The term "Indian population" means the total number of residents of an affected State who are Indian.

(B) Requirements

As a condition of receipt of a grant under any program administered by the Administration, each affected State shall-

(i) describe in the grant application-

(I) the Indian population of the affected State; and

(II) the contribution of that Indian population to the statewide data used by the affected State in the application; and

(ii) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Secretary that-

(I) of the total amount of the grant, the affected State will allocate for use for the Indian population of the affected State an amount equal to the proportion that-

(aa) the Indian population of the affected State; bears to

(bb) the total population of the affected State; and

(II) the affected State will take reasonable efforts to collaborate with each Indian tribe located within the affected State to carry out youth suicide prevention and treatment measures for members of the Indian tribe.

(C) Report

Not later than 1 year after the date of receipt of a grant described in subparagraph (B), an affected State shall submit to the Secretary a report describing the measures carried out by the affected State to ensure compliance with the requirements of subparagraph (B)(ii).

(b) No non-Federal share requirement

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no Indian tribe or tribal organization shall be required to provide a non-Federal share of the cost of any project or activity carried out using a grant provided under any program administered by the Administration.

(c) Outreach for rural and isolated Indian tribes

Due to the rural, isolated nature of most Indian reservations and communities (especially those reservations and communities in the Great Plains region), the Secretary shall conduct outreach activities, with a particular emphasis on the provision of telemental health services, to achieve the purposes of this part with respect to Indian tribes located in rural, isolated areas.

(d) Provision of other assistance

(1) In general

The Secretary, acting through the Administration, shall carry out such measures (including monitoring and the provision of required assistance) as the Secretary determines to be necessary to ensure the provision of adequate suicide prevention and mental health services to Indian tribes described in paragraph (2), regardless of whether those Indian tribes possess adequate personnel or infrastructure-

(A) to submit an application for a grant under any program administered by the Administration, including due to problems relating to access to the Internet or other electronic means that may have resulted in previous obstacles to submission of a grant application; or

(B) to fulfill all applicable requirements of the relevant program.

(2) Description of Indian tribes

An Indian tribe referred to in paragraph (1) is an Indian tribe-

(A) the members of which experience-

(i) a high rate of youth suicide;

(ii) low socioeconomic status; and

(iii) extreme health disparity;

(B) that is located in a remote and isolated area; and

(C) that lacks technology and communication infrastructure.

(3) Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out this subsection.

(e) Early intervention and assessment services

(1) Definition of affected entity

In this subsection, the term "affected entity" means any entity-

(A) that receives a grant for suicide intervention, prevention, or treatment under a program administered by the Administration; and

(B) the population to be served by which includes Indian youth.

(2) Requirement

The Secretary, acting through the Administration, shall ensure that each affected entity carrying out a youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategy described in section 290bb–36(c)(1) of title 42, or any other youth suicide-related early intervention and assessment activity, provides training or education to individuals who interact frequently with the Indian youth to be served by the affected entity (including parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors) on identifying warning signs of Indian youth who are at risk of committing suicide.

(Pub. L. 94–437, title VII, §724, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title X, §10221(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 935 .)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Section 724 of Pub. L. 94–437 is based on section 181 of title I of S. 1790, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, as reported by the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate in Dec. 2009, which was enacted into law by section 10221(a) of Pub. L. 111–148.