This week, the House passed a proposal that I co-led to provide more resources to local law enforcement officers that will help them more effectively respond to mental health crisis, substance abuse problems, and domestic violence situations. September 23, 2022 Dear John, This week, the House passed a proposal that I co-led to provide more resources to local law enforcement officers that will help them more effectively respond to mental health crisis, substance abuse problems, and domestic violence situations. I also met with business groups and entrepeneurs to discuss way we can relieve the effects of inflation and help our businesses grow. Finally, I'm working to expand healthcare access and options through telehealth. Read below to learn more about what I've been doing this week. Make sure to follow my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get these updates in real-time. Supporting the Police Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 8542, the Mental Health Justice Act. The legislation, which has the support of Orange County law enforcement officers including Sheriff Barnes, would create a grant program to pay for hiring, training, salary, benefits, and additional expenses for mental health provider first responder units. Mental health professionals would be dispatched to emergencies that involve people with behavioral health needs. It would also allow law enforcement to focus their resources on addressing violations of criminal law, responding to emergency calls for service, and proactively preventing crime. Our law enforcement officers put their own lives on the line every single day on behalf of our communities, and they deserve our respect and support. As the only Republican to have led the Mental Health Justice Act in Congress, I’m pleased that this much needed legislation, which will give officers more resources to respond to emergency calls and mental health crises, has passed the House. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to get this bill to the President’s desk so we can better equip our brave police with the tools they need to keep us safe. Learn More I was glad to join Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), the rest of my School Choice Caucus colleagues, and Secretary Betsy DeVos for a policy discussion on the school choice legislative agenda. We're working to give every American kid the education they deserve! It was great meeting with members of ACE NextGen to discuss how we can better support entrepreneurs and small business owners in Southern California and across the country. Thanks for stopping by! It's Time to Expand Healthcare Access When the pandemic first hit in early 2020, Americans were faced with unprecedented challenges. Accessing safe and timely health care services was something that everyone from seniors to new parents struggled with as offices shuttered and millions quarantined. Health care providers had to swiftly adapt to the changing environment to provide care, and officials stepped up to increase flexibilities and give patients and providers as many tools as possible to keep everyone safe, while maintaining access to necessary health care. Providing health care virtually through telemedicine was a popular solution that helped deliver care to patients in the safety of their homes. ` The pandemic demonstrated the troubling extent to which our laws and regulations lag behind market and technology innovation. Telehealth and remote patient monitoring services were already providing unique opportunities for both patients and providers, and we need to expand them. Read My Full Joint Op-Ed with Rep. Susie Lee in The Hill I’m honored to have received the National Federation of Independent Businesses' "Guardian of Small Business" Award for my 100% pro-small business voting record. Small businesses make up almost half of our economy, and I will always fight for them. Apply for the 2022 Congressional App Challenge My office is now accepting submissions for the Congressional App Challenge (CAC). The CAC is a great way for middle and high school students from across the country to explore and improve their computer-based skills by creating original apps. This competition encourages computer science and innovation skills and offers an opportunity for students to explore potential careers in the STEM field. Each winning app may be put on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year and will be featured on the House of Representatives website. Winning students are also invited to the #HouseofCode Capitol Hill Reception in Washington D.C. The CAC is open to 6th - 12th grade students residing in or attending school in California’s 48th District. Teachers and/or students should verify their eligibility with our office by calling (714) 960-6483. Learn More and Sign Up What I'm Reading Migrant arrests at southwestern border hit yearly record The number of arrests of undocumented immigrants at the southwestern border reached a yearly record in August, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Arrests on the southern border were at 2,150,244 in the 11 months... Read more thehill.com U.S. watchdog estimates $45.6 billion in pandemic... A federal watchdog on Thursday found that fraudsters may have stolen $45.6 billion from the nation's unemployment insurance program during the pandemic, using the Social Security numbers of dead people and other tactics to deceive and bilk the... Read more www.washingtonpost.com I’ll be using this newsletter as a way to keep you up to date on my work on behalf of our Orange County community, so make sure you sign up for regular updates. You can also connect with my official Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages, where I’ll be posting the latest news and updates. Sincerely, Rep. Michelle Steel Member of Congress ‌ ‌ ‌ Rep. Steel | 1113 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]