[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3760 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3760

 To amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act to strengthen the 
            mental health workforce, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 31, 2023

Mr. Carter of Louisiana (for himself, Ms. Strickland, Mrs. Beatty, Ms. 
Williams of Georgia, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Ivey, 
Mrs. McClellan, Mrs. Foushee, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Crockett, Ms. 
 Sewell, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Brown, Ms. 
 Lee of Pennsylvania, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, 
   Mr. Carson, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Mfume, Mr. Clyburn, Mrs. Watson 
  Coleman, and Ms. Kelly of Illinois) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act to strengthen the 
            mental health workforce, 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. STRENGTHENING THE MENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE.

    (a) In General.--Part B of title VII of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 293 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 742. STRENGTHENING THE MENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish and carry out a 
mental health provider loan deferment and forgiveness program under 
which the eligible individual agrees to be employed full-time for a 
period of at least 5 years (beginning on the date on which the 
individual graduates from medical school) in providing mental and 
behavioral health care, including substance abuse prevention and 
treatment services--
            ``(1) as a solo practitioner--
                    ``(A) at least 30 percent of the patients of which 
                are individuals receiving medical assistance under a 
                State plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act 
                (or a waiver of such plan); and
                    ``(B) at least 50 percent of the patients of which 
                are members of a racial and ethnic minority group (as 
                defined in section 1707); or
            ``(2) at an institution that accepts patients described in 
        paragraph (1)(A) and at which at least 50 percent of the 
        patients served by the institution are members of a racial and 
        ethnic minority group (as defined in section 1707).
    ``(b) Program Administration.--Through the program established 
under this section, the Secretary shall enter into contracts with 
eligible individuals under which--
            ``(1) such eligible individuals will agree to provide 
        mental and behavioral health care services as described in 
        subsection (a);
            ``(2) the Secretary agrees that periodic installments of 
        the principal of an eligible loan need not be paid, but 
        interest shall accrue and be paid, during any period during 
        which the borrower is employed as described in subsection (a); 
        and
            ``(3) the Secretary, through the holder of the loan, will 
        assume the obligation to repay the lesser of 100 percent or 
        $200,000 of the total amount of principal and interest of an 
        eligible loan, that are outstanding as of the day immediately 
        preceding the first day of the first year of service (as 
        described in subsection (a)), for an eligible individual, who--
                    ``(A) has been employed as described in subsection 
                (a) for 5 consecutive years; and
                    ``(B) is not in default on a loan for which the 
                individual seeks forgiveness.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `eligible individual' means an individual 
        who--
                    ``(A)(i) has been accepted for enrollment, or be 
                enrolled, as a student in a minority-serving 
                institution eligible to receive funding under section 
                371 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 in a course of 
                study or program leading to a mental or behavioral 
                health professions degree or certificate; or
                    ``(ii) is completing training hours under clinical 
                supervision for purposes of obtaining such a degree or 
                certificate; and
                    ``(B) has accepted employment as described in 
                subsection (a), to commence upon graduation.
            ``(2) The term `eligible loan' means--
                    ``(A) any loan for education or training for mental 
                and behavioral health care, including substance abuse 
                prevention and treatment, employment;
                    ``(B) any Federal Direct Stafford Loan, Federal 
                Direct PLUS Loan, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford 
                Loan, or Federal Direct Consolidation Loan (as such 
                terms are used in section 455 of the Higher Education 
                Act of 1965);
                    ``(C) any Federal Perkins Loan under part E of 
                title I of the Higher Education Act of 1965; and
                    ``(D) any other Federal loan as determined 
                appropriate by the Secretary.''.
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