Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Amendments of 1984
Public Law 98-509 · S. 2303 · 98th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 19, 1984 · Health
Sponsor: Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Chuck Grassley
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Alcohol and Drug Abuse and Mental Health Amendments of 1984 - Title I: Amendments to Title XIX of the Public Health Service Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize FY 1985 through 1987 appropriations for alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health services block grants.
Revises block grant allocation provisions to provide States with a minimum allotment equal to FY 1984 levels, and to allocate appropriations in excess of such amounts based on population and per capita income.
Permits direct grant payments to Indian tribes or tribal organizations.
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for an independent review (by a nongovernmental entity) of block grant distributions to determine whether a more equitable formula can be devised. Requires: (1) consultation with State and local officials; and (2) a report to Congress by October 1, 1986.
Requires participating States to: (1) use 75 percent of post FY 1984 grants for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation projects; (2) make funds available for local mental health centers through FY 1987; and (3) use specified funds for alcohol and drug abuse services for women, and for mental health services for severely disturbed children and adolescents, and for mental health services to underserved areas or populations. Requires the Secretary to report annually to the appropriate congressional committees regarding such youth and women's services.
Authorizes States to use funds to establish: (1) comprehensive mental health plans; and (2) mental health services planning councils to service as advocates for the mentally ill, and to monitor such mental health plans.
Revises existing block grant audit provisions to: (1) make audits biennial (currently annual); (2) permit a single financial and compliance audit of each entity; and (3) require that audit reports be made available to the Secretary, the State legislature, and to the public (currently only to the Secretary).
Requires the Secretary to work with appropriate national organizations to develop model data collection criteria.
Authorizes community mental health centers to use block grant funds to provide psychosocial rehabilitation services.
Directs the Secretary: (1) acting through the Administrator of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration, to provide technical assistance for States and public and nonprofit entities receiving alcohol, drug abuse, and mental health services block grant funds; and (2) to perform related data collection.
Title II: Amendments to Title V of the Public Health Service Act - Replaces the existing National Panel on Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health with an Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Advisory Board. Directs such Board to assess the national needs for alcoholism, drug abuse, and mental health services and the extent to which such needs are being met by State, local, and private programs and programs under title V and part B of title XIX of such Act. Requires an annual report to the appropriate congressional committees. Sets forth related membership and operating provisions, including the use of consultants.
Directs the Secretary, acting through the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration, to make grants to schools of social work and of the health professions for training in the identification and treatment of alcohol and drug abuse.
Retitles the Associate Director of Minority Concerns as the Associate Director for Special Populations. Includes women among the priority populations.
Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the National Institute of Mental Health, to make grants for mental health services demonstration projects, including research. Limits such grants to three years, unless extended by the Secretary. Authorizes FY 1985 through 1987 appropriations. Authorizes grants for comprehensive mental health plans.
Authorizes FY 1985 and 1986 appropriations for the National Institute of Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Includes research on the effects of alcohol and drug abuse upon women among such Institutes' priority projects.
Requires the Secretary, acting through such Institutes, to prepare alcohol and drug abuse public service television announcements.
Authorizes the Secretary, acting through such Institutes, to make alcohol and drug abuse demonstration project grants. Limits such grants to three years.
Requires the Secretary to submit a comprehensive alcohol abuse and alcoholism prevention plan to Congress by October 1, 1985. Requires such report to include: (1) a model program; (2) an analysis of the social and economic costs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse; (3) an assessment of existing treatment and rehabilitation needs, and related personnel needs; (4) a statement of specific goals and objectives; and (5) estimates of public and private resources.
Title III: Other Amendments - Amends the definition of "detoxification treatment" under the Controlled Substances Act to increase the maximum number of treatment days from 21 to 180. Requires the Secretary to promulgate related implementing regulations within 90 days.
Repeals title III of the Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Rehabilitation Act.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to require that members be appointed to the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism who have an expertise in the fields of alcoholism and alcohol abuse prevention, research, and treatment.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Energy and Commerce Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Health and Environment Subcommittee
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee · Senate · hearings by (full committee), markup by, referred to, reported by
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.
- Oct 19, 1984Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 98-509.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 10, 1984PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 4, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
- Oct 1, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 98-1123 Filed in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 98-1123 Filed in House.
- Jul 26, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to request for conference. Appointed conferees. Hatch; Hawkins; Quayle; Grassley; Kennedy; Matsunaga; Riegle.
- FloorFloor · Senate disagreed to the House amendments. By Voice Vote.
- Jun 28, 1984Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Requested a Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Dingell, Waxman, Scheuer, Broyhill, Madigan.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Insisted on its Amendments by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- May 1, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Health and Environment Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Apr 30, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Apr 26, 1984FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Apr 6, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Mar 21, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Feb 22, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Feb 9, 1984CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.