[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1668 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1668

To clarify that participants in the National Health Service Corps Loan 
   Repayment Program may be assigned to serve in pediatric inpatient 
                       mental health facilities.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                 May 23 (legislative day, May 22), 2019

  Mr. Tester introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To clarify that participants in the National Health Service Corps Loan 
   Repayment Program may be assigned to serve in pediatric inpatient 
                       mental health facilities.

    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 ``Defending Access to Mental Health 
Care Act''.

SEC. 2. PROVISION OF PRIMARY CARE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AT PEDIATRIC 
              INPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES.

    (a) Health Professional Shortage Area Medical Facilities.--Section 
332(a)(2)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e(a)(2)(A)) 
is amended by inserting ``pediatric inpatient mental health facility 
that is certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,'' 
after ``community mental health center,''.
    (b) Assignment of Corps Members.--Section 338B(a) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``; and'' and inserting 
        ``;'';
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
            ``(2) an adequate supply of mental health professionals at 
        pediatric inpatient mental health facilities that are certified 
        by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; and''.
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