National Council Announces 2020 Legislators of the Year

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing is pleased to announce this year’s legislative honorees for Hill Day at Home 2020. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Representative David Trone (D-MD) are each receiving the National Council’s Legislator of the Year Award in recognition of their hard work and dedicated commitment to the mental health and addiction community. The National Council and its partners will honor both legislators at our Virtual Policy Institute on Tuesday June 23^rd. Register today to join us in honoring these two Congressional leaders and thank them for their continued support.

The National Council has selected Sen. Cornyn and Rep. Trone to receive the 2020 Legislator of the Year Award to underscore each of their powerful leadership and support for people living with behavioral health conditions. Specifically, Sen. Cornyn and Rep. Trone serve as the lead sponsors in their respective Chambers of the Crisis Stabilization and Community Reentry Act of 2020 (S. 3315/H.R. 5909). This bill would provide aid and resources at the intersection of our nation’s mental health treatment and criminal justice systems. The Crisis Stabilization and Community Reentry Act would authorize $10 million in grants to communities to create collaborative programs involving justice agencies and community-based behavioral health providers. It would also create a national technical assistance center to serve communities around the country.

The National Council also appreciates Sen. Cornyn’s recent leadership in advocating on behalf of behavioral health providers amid the COVID-19 pandemic as well as Rep. Trone’s work on the Freshmen Working Group on Addiction and his interest in improving our nation’s recovery housing networks for those in need.