III 115th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 670 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES October 9, 2018 Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Cassidy , Ms. Smith , Mr. Roberts , Mr. Murphy , Mr. Carper , Mr. Whitehouse , Mr. Durbin , Ms. Stabenow , Mr. Menendez , Mr. Cardin , and Ms. Collins ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions October 10, 2018 Committee discharged; considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Recognizing the tenth anniversary of the enactment of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.

Whereas, on October 3, 2008, the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (subtitle B of title V of Public Law 110–343 ) (referred to in this preamble as the MHPAEA ) was signed into law; Whereas the MHPAEA ensures that employer-based group health plans and group and individual health insurance issuers that provide mental health or substance use disorder coverage do not impose less favorable limitations on mental health or substance abuse use disorder benefits than on medical or surgical benefits; Whereas parity protections have been found to decrease out-of-pocket costs for mental health and substance use disorder services; Whereas, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in 2017, 18,200,000 individuals in the United States ages 12 and older needed substance use treatment but did not receive specialty treatment in the past year; Whereas, in the United States in 2017, an estimated 2 out of 5 adults with any mental illness and 1/2 of adults with serious mental illness who had unmet needs for mental health services did not receive treatment because those individuals could not afford the cost of care; and Whereas parity in insurance coverage for behavioral health services consistent with the requirements of the MHPAEA can provide access to life-saving treatment and services: Now, therefore be it