[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 356 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 356

To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to improve access to, and 
the delivery of, children's health services through school-based health 
                    centers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 13, 2017

  Ms. Stabenow (for herself, Mr. Peters, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Franken) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
                          Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to improve access to, and 
the delivery of, children's health services through school-based health 
                    centers, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Hallways to Health Act''.

SEC. 2. SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS.

    Title XXI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 2114. GRANTS AND PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO, AND THE DELIVERY 
              OF, CHILDREN'S HEALTH SERVICES THROUGH SCHOOL-BASED 
              HEALTH CENTERS.

    ``(a) Grants to School-Based Health Centers To Encourage Children 
To Adopt Healthy Behaviors.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--Not later than 18 months after the 
        date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall 
        publish criteria to enable school-based health centers to apply 
        for grants for the purpose of assisting eligible children under 
        this title and title XIX and other children by providing 
        funding for community health workers to facilitate children's 
        access to services that encourage children to adopt healthy 
        behaviors and to improve the quality and cultural competence of 
        the delivery of such services. Not later than 2 years after 
        such date, the Secretary shall award grants to school-based 
        health centers for such purposes.
            ``(2) Requirements.--A school-based health center that 
        employs individuals who meet the Bureau of Labor Statistics 
        standard occupational definition of `health educator' (21-1091 
        or any successor classification number) or `community health 
        worker' (21-1094 or any successor classification number) shall 
        be eligible for a grant under this subsection.
            ``(3) Reporting.--
                    ``(A) By grantees.--A grantee under this subsection 
                shall annually submit to the Secretary a report 
                containing a description of the services provided under 
                the grant, the data collected with respect to such 
                services, a description of the efficacy of such 
                services, any other information determined appropriate 
                by the Secretary.
                    ``(B) By secretary.--The Secretary biennially shall 
                submit to Congress a report on the efficacy of the 
                grant program established under this subsection.
            ``(4) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to 
        carry out this subsection. Funds appropriated under the 
        preceding sentence shall remain available until expended.''.

SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND EXPANSION OF DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS TO 
              PROVIDE TELE-HEALTH SERVICES AT SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH 
              CENTERS.

    Section 2114 of the Social Security Act (as added by section 2), is 
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) Establishment and Expansion of Tele-Health Services 
Demonstration Programs.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--Not later than 18 months after the 
        date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall 
        publish criteria for the establishment of a demonstration 
        program to provide new tele-health services, or to expand 
        existing tele-health service programs, located at school-based 
        health centers. A school-based health center's receipt of funds 
        under the demonstration program under this subsection shall not 
        preclude the school-based health center from being reimbursed 
        by public or private health insurance programs according to 
        State law and regulation for items and services furnished by or 
        through the center.
            ``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to 
        carry out this subsection. Funds appropriated under the 
        preceding sentence shall remain available until expended.''.

SEC. 4. ASSURANCE OF PAYMENT UNDER MEDICAID AND CHIP FOR COVERED ITEMS 
              AND SERVICES FURNISHED BY CERTAIN SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH 
              CENTERS.

    (a) State Plan Requirement.--Section 1902(a) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (82), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (83)(B)(ii), by striking the period at the 
        end and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (83) the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(84) provide that the State shall certify to the 
        Secretary that the State has implemented procedures to pay for 
        medical assistance (including care and services described in 
        subsections (a)(4)(B) and (r) of section 1905 and provided in 
        accordance with section 1902(a)(43)) furnished in a school-
        based health center (as defined in section 2110(c)(9)), if 
        payment would be made under the State plan for the same items 
        and services if furnished in a physician's office or other 
        outpatient clinic (including if such payment would be included 
        in the determination of a prepaid capitation or other risk-
        based rate of payment to an entity under a contract pursuant to 
        section 1903(m)).''.
    (b) Application to CHIP.--Section 2107(e)(1) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1397gg(e)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraphs (G) through (R) as 
        subparagraphs (H) through (S), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (F), the following new 
        subparagraph:
                    ``(G) Section 1902(a)(84) (relating to procedures 
                to ensure payment for covered services furnished in a 
                school-based health center).''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section take 
effect on October 1, 2017.

SEC. 5. OTHER IMPROVEMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 399Z-1 of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 280h-5) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1), in the matter preceding 
        subparagraph (A), by inserting ``either in person or via 
        telehealth,'' after ``health centers,'';
            (2) in subsection (a)(3)(A), by inserting before the 
        semicolon the following: ``, and includes universities, 
        accountable care organizations, and behavioral health 
        organizations'';
            (3) in subsection (c)(2)(C)(iv), by inserting ``and health 
        education'' after ``health services'';
            (4) in subsection (e), by striking ``may--'' and all that 
        follows through the end and inserting ``may, upon a showing of 
        good cause, waive the requirement that the SBHC provide all 
        required comprehensive primary health services for a period not 
        to exceed 2 years.'';
            (5) in subsection (i), by inserting before the period the 
        following: ``, including using existing quality performance 
        measures funded by the Federal Government for such entities'';
            (6) in subsection (l)--
                    (A) by striking ``2014'' and inserting ``2022''; 
                and
                    (B) by redesignating such subsection as subsection 
                (n); and
            (7) by inserting after subsection (k), the following:
    ``(l) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary, acting directly or 
through awarding grants or contracts to private, nonprofit entities, 
shall establish or support existing State school-based health center 
resource centers that--
            ``(1) provide advocacy, training, and technical assistance 
        to school-based health centers, including maximizing Federal 
        and State resources;
            ``(2) support the development of school-based health 
        centers; and
            ``(3) enhance the operations and performance of school-
        based health centers.
    ``(m) Authorization of Appropriations.--For purposes of carrying 
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as 
may be necessary.''.
    (b) Covered Entity.--Section 340B(a)(4) of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 256b(a)(4)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
                    ``(P) A school-based health center.''.
    (c) Qualified Health Plans.--Section 1311(c)(1)(C) of the Patient 
Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18031(c)(1)(C)) is 
amended by inserting ``, providers defined in section 2110(c)(9) of the 
Social Security Act,'' after ``Public Health Service Act''.
                                 <all>