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The House passed legislation Wednesday to overhaul the nation’s mental health system, the first effort by lawmakers to specifically tackle federal policies on serious mental illness. The bill passed 422-2, overwhelming support that reflected a decision by sponsors to defer debates on some of its most controversial aspects. The bill would reorganize the federal agency overseeing mental health policy, direct funding to combat serious mental illness as opposed to general mental health programs, and change Medicaid reimbursements for treating patients with illnesses like schizophrenia. (Radnofsky, 7/6)

The measure from Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Pa.), which passed 422-2, had been stalled and mired in controversy for years, but lawmakers in recent months dropped or scaled back many of the most contentious, sweeping measures. That process has led to a bill that is much more modest than the original plan but that advocates are still praising as a good first step. Democrats stressed that more funding is still needed. (Sullivan, 7/6)

The measure was originally intended as a massive overhaul of the mental health care system. However, it was watered down in committee and stripped of costly and controversial provisions, including some that would have expanded access to psychiatric hospital beds and made it easier for doctors to share information about mentally ill patients. The pared-down, budget-neutral bill authorizes new prevention and treatment programs, reauthorizes existing ones, restructures leadership at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and requires insurers to provide more robust coverage for eating disorders. (Ehley, 7/6)

While House Speaker Paul Ryan has pointed to the bill as a way to address gun violence across the country, Tuesday’s vote came as House Democrats have sought to get more votes on gun restrictions on the House floor. Murphy has said that gun violence and mental health should be addressed separately, and the two aren’t linked in the measure. (McIntire, 7/6)

The House of Representatives put aside gun control politics Wednesday and overwhelmingly approved a scaled-back mental health reform bill. Attention now turns to a similar bill in the Senate, where gun issues have continued to stall movement. Although some stronger and more controversial provisions originally in the bill were removed to improve its chances of passage, mental health advocates still hailed the bill's approval as a “powerful moment” and “major step forward” in mental healthcare. (Muchmore, 7/6)

As the U.S. House of Representatives passed an overhaul of federal mental health policy on Wednesday, Sen. Chris Murphy pressed for a Senate vote on a similar bipartisan bill he has sponsored with Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. ...His bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to modify regulations concerning medical record secrecy in cases of serious mental illness to provide family members with information to help the sick. The bill also would reauthorize mental health grants for states and drop some restrictions on patient advocacy groups. (Radelat, 7/6)