[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1667 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.1667

                    One Hundred Seventeenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
          the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-two


                                 An Act


 
     To address behavioral health and well-being among health care 
                             professionals.

    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 ``Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider 
Protection Act''.
SEC. 2. DISSEMINATION OF BEST PRACTICES.
    Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this Act as 
the ``Secretary'') shall identify and disseminate evidence-based or 
evidence-informed best practices for preventing suicide and improving 
mental health and resiliency among health care professionals, and for 
training health care professionals in appropriate strategies to promote 
their mental health. Such best practices shall include recommendations 
related to preventing suicide and improving mental health and 
resiliency among health care professionals.
SEC. 3. EDUCATION AND AWARENESS INITIATIVE ENCOURAGING USE OF MENTAL 
HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES BY HEALTH CARE 
PROFESSIONALS.
    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with relevant 
stakeholders, including medical professional associations, shall 
establish a national evidence-based or evidence-informed education and 
awareness initiative--
        (1) to encourage health care professionals to seek support and 
    care for their mental health or substance use concerns, to help 
    such professionals identify risk factors associated with suicide 
    and mental health conditions, and to help such professionals learn 
    how best to respond to such risks, with the goal of preventing 
    suicide, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders; and
        (2) to address stigma associated with seeking mental health and 
    substance use disorder services.
    (b) Reporting.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall provide to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives an update on the 
activities and outcomes of the initiative under subsection (a), 
including a description of quantitative and qualitative metrics used to 
evaluate such activities and outcomes.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2022 through 2024.
SEC. 4. PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH AMONG THE HEALTH PROFESSIONAL 
WORKFORCE.
    Subpart I of part E of title VII of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 294n et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``SEC. 764. PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH AMONG THE HEALTH 
      PROFESSIONAL WORKFORCE.
    ``(a) Programs to Promote Mental Health Among Health Care 
Professionals.--
        ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants or 
    contracts to health care entities, including entities that provide 
    health care services, such as hospitals, community health centers, 
    and rural health clinics, or to medical professional associations, 
    to establish or enhance evidence-based or evidence-informed 
    programs dedicated to improving mental health and resiliency for 
    health care professionals.
        ``(2) Use of funds.--An eligible entity receiving a grant or 
    contract under this subsection shall use funds received through the 
    grant or contract to implement a new program or enhance an existing 
    program to promote mental health among health care professionals, 
    which may include--
            ``(A) improving awareness among health care professionals 
        about risk factors for, and signs of, suicide and mental health 
        or substance use disorders, in accordance with evidence-based 
        or evidence-informed practices;
            ``(B) establishing new, or enhancing existing, evidence-
        based or evidence-informed programs for preventing suicide and 
        improving mental health and resiliency among health care 
        professionals;
            ``(C) establishing new, or enhancing existing, peer-support 
        programs among health care professionals; or
            ``(D) providing mental health care, follow-up services and 
        care, or referral for such services and care, as appropriate.
        ``(3) Priority.--In awarding grants and contracts under this 
    subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities 
    in health professional shortage areas or rural areas.
    ``(b) Training Grants.--The Secretary may establish a program to 
award grants to health professions schools, academic health centers, 
State or local governments, Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations, or 
other appropriate public or private nonprofit entities (or consortia of 
entities, including entities promoting multidisciplinary approaches) to 
support the training of health care students, residents, or health care 
professionals in evidence-based or evidence-informed strategies to 
address mental and substance use disorders and improve mental health 
and resiliency among health care professionals.
    ``(c) Grant Terms.--A grant or contract awarded under subsection 
(a) or (b) shall be for a period of 3 years.
    ``(d) Application Submission.--An entity seeking a grant or 
contract under subsection (a) or (b) shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such 
information as the Secretary may require.
    ``(e) Reporting.--An entity awarded a grant or contract under 
subsection (a) or (b) shall periodically submit to the Secretary a 
report evaluating the activities supported by the grant or contract.
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section 
and section 5 of the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection 
Act, there are authorized to be appropriated $35,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2022 through 2024.''.
SEC. 5. REVIEW WITH RESPECT TO HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL MENTAL HEALTH 
AND RESILIENCY.
    (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, 
shall--
        (1) conduct a review on improving health care professional 
    mental health and the outcomes of programs authorized under this 
    Act; and
        (2) submit a report to the Congress on the results of such 
    review.
    (b) Considerations.--The review under subsection (a) shall take 
into account--
        (1) the prevalence and severity of mental health conditions 
    among health professionals, and factors that contribute to those 
    mental health conditions;
        (2) barriers to seeking and accessing mental health care for 
    health care professionals, which may include consideration of 
    stigma and licensing concerns, and actions taken by State licensing 
    boards, schools for health professionals, health care professional 
    training associations, hospital associations, or other 
    organizations, as appropriate, to address such barriers;
        (3) the impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency on the 
    mental health of health care professionals and lessons learned for 
    future public health emergencies;
        (4) factors that promote mental health and resiliency among 
    health care professionals, including programs or strategies to 
    strengthen mental health and resiliency among health care 
    professionals; and
        (5) the efficacy of health professional training programs that 
    promote resiliency and improve mental health.
    (c) Recommendations.--The review under subsection (a), as 
appropriate, shall identify best practices related to, and make 
recommendations to address--
        (1) improving mental health and resiliency among health care 
    professionals;
        (2) removing barriers to mental health care for health care 
    professionals; and
        (3) strategies to promote resiliency among health care 
    professionals in health care settings.
SEC. 6. GAO REPORT.
    Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Congress a 
report on the extent to which Federal substance use disorder and mental 
health grant programs address the prevalence and severity of mental 
health conditions and substance use disorders among health 
professionals. Such report shall--
        (1) include an analysis of available evidence and data related 
    to such conditions and programs; and
        (2) assess whether there are duplicative goals and objectives 
    among such grant programs.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.