[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10047 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10047
To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of
Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for
Mental Health and Substance Use, to award grants to support community-
based programs for harm reduction services for individuals who use
substances.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 25, 2024
Mr. Larsen of Washington (for himself and Ms. Kuster) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of
Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for
Mental Health and Substance Use, to award grants to support community-
based programs for harm reduction services for individuals who use
substances.
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 ``Closing the Substance Use Care Gap
Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY-BASED HARM REDUCTION SERVICES FOR
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER.
Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290dd
et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 544 of such Act (42
U.S.C. 290dd-3) the following:
``SEC. 544A. GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY-BASED HARM REDUCTION SERVICES FOR
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER.
``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the Assistant
Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and in consultation with
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall
award grants to eligible entities to support community-based programs
for harm reduction services for individuals with substance use disorder
or individuals who use substances.
``(b) Eligible Entity.--In this section, the term `eligible entity'
means--
``(1) a State, local, Tribal, or territorial government;
``(2) a Tribal organization;
``(3) a community-based harm reduction program, including a
syringe services program;
``(4) a primary and behavioral health organization; or
``(5) an opioid treatment program.
``(c) Subgrants.--For the purposes for which a grant is awarded
under this section, the eligible entity receiving the grant may award
subgrants to--
``(1) a Federally qualified health center;
``(2) an opioid treatment program;
``(3) a health care provider or organization providing
services to individuals with substance use disorders or
individuals who use substances; and
``(4) any nonprofit organization that the Secretary deems
appropriate, which may include Urban Indian organizations (as
defined in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement
Act).
``(d) Application.--To seek a grant under this section, an eligible
entity shall submit to the Secretary, in such form and manner as
specified by the Secretary, an application that describes--
``(1) the intended uses of funds provided through the
grant;
``(2) how the activities funded through the grant will
support community-based harm reduction programs providing harm
reduction services for individuals who use substances; and
``(3) any other information and assurances the Secretary
determines to be appropriate.
``(e) Use of Grant Funds.--Grant funds awarded under this section
to an eligible entity shall be used to support community-based harm
reduction programs providing harm reduction services for individuals
who use substances, which--
``(1) may include--
``(A) preventing and controlling the spread of
infectious diseases and the consequences of such
diseases for individuals who use substances, such as
through legally authorized or permitted syringe
services programs, including the purchase of syringes;
``(B) overdose prevention programs, such as
distributing opioid overdose reversal medication to
individuals at risk of overdose and individuals likely
to witness or respond to an overdose; and
``(C) connecting individuals who use substances to
overdose education, harm reduction treatment and
counseling, treatment services, recovery support
services, and health education, and encouraging such
individuals to take steps to reduce the negative
personal and public health impacts of substance use or
misuse; and
``(2) shall include establishing or maintaining processes,
protocols, and mechanisms for referral to evidence-based
treatment and recovery support services.
``(f) Best Practices.--The Secretary, acting through the Assistant
Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, shall issue guidance, based on information
collected from grantees under this section, detailing best practices
and promising methods for community-based harm reduction programs
providing harm reduction services described in subsection (e).
``(g) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary, including through the
Tribal Training and Technical Assistance Center of the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration, as applicable, shall provide
eligible entities with technical assistance concerning--
``(1) grant application and submission procedures under
this section;
``(2) management activities for grant awards under this
section; and
``(3) enhancing outreach and direct support to rural and
underserved communities and providers in addressing substance
use through a grant under this section.
``(h) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this section, and biennially thereafter, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives a report that--
``(1) assesses how grant funding allocated under this
section has affected the efforts of States to--
``(A) address substance use;
``(B) prevent and control the spread of infectious
diseases, and the consequences of such diseases for
individuals who use substances; and
``(C) connect individuals who use substances to
overdose education, harm reduction treatment and
counseling, treatment services, recovery support
services, and health education; and
``(2) includes any other information the Secretary
determines to be appropriate.
``(i) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `Federally qualified health center' has the
meaning given to that term in section 1861(aa) of the Social
Security Act.
``(2) The term `opioid treatment program' has the meaning
given to that term in section 8.2 of title 42, Code of Federal
Regulations (or any successor regulations).
``(3) The term `Urban Indian organization' has the meaning
given to that term in section 4 of the Indian Health Care
Improvement Act.
``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated
to carry out this section $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2025 through 2029.
``(2) Federal administrative expenses.--Of the amounts made
available for each fiscal year to award grants under subsection
(a), the Secretary shall use not more than 2 percent for
Federal administrative expenses, training, technical
assistance, and evaluation.''.
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