Sen. Mark Begich is co-sponsoring legislation aimed at improving mental health care in this country.

The proposal is an expansion on a measure that Begich proposed last year to improve mental health services on college campuses but that died with the last Congress. The new plan has drawn bipartisan support, which Begich said should help the measure gain traction.

The measure, entitled the Mental Health First Aid Act of 2013, has eight other original co-sponsors, including three Republicans — Sens. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Roy Blunt of Missouri and Marco Rubio of Florida.