[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8680 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8680

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
 the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to award 
           grants to train community mental wellness workers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 11, 2024

 Mr. Espaillat (for himself, Mr. Lawler, and Mr. Thanedar) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
 the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to award 
           grants to train community mental wellness workers.

    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 ``Community Mental Wellness Worker 
Training Act''.

SEC. 2. TRAINING COMMUNITY MENTAL WELLNESS WORKERS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, 
may award grants to eligible entities to implement community mental 
wellness worker training programs.
    (b) Use of Funds.--A community mental wellness worker training 
program implemented pursuant to a grant under this section may 
include--
            (1) supporting training, certification, and supervision 
        during and after training of community mental wellness workers 
        and community mental wellness supervisors--
                    (A) to screen for common mental health and 
                substance use conditions; and
                    (B) to deliver evidence-informed, culturally and 
                linguistically competent counseling and interviewing 
                interventions addressing basic psychosocial or 
                psychotherapeutic treatment needs of persons with or at 
                risk for mental and substance use disorders, including 
                safety planning and interventions to reduce suicide 
                risk; and
            (2) covering costs associated with--
                    (A) the acquisition and use of digital platforms to 
                provide the screening, training, supervision, and 
                ongoing quality assurance monitoring, outcomes 
                evaluation, and delivery of evidence-based treatments;
                    (B) the delivery of counseling and interviewing 
                interventions described in paragraph (1)(B); and
                    (C) the clinical supervision (during and after 
                training) of community mental wellness workers and the 
                certification of such workers upon the completion of 
                required training.
    (c) Community Mental Wellness Technical Assistance Center.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental 
        Health and Substance Use, may provide appropriate training and 
        technical assistance to grantees under this section in meeting 
        the requirements of this section, including by--
                    (A) consulting with grantees on evidence-based 
                employment practices for community mental wellness 
                workers, including assistance with integrating 
                community wellness workers into the workflows of the 
                grantees and other eligible entities;
                    (B) identifying a diverse array of candidates for 
                community mental wellness worker training; and
                    (C) identifying behavioral health providers who may 
                benefit from and employ community mental wellness 
                workers.
            (2) Additional dissemination of technical assistance.--The 
        information and resources provided by the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Resources under paragraph (1) shall, as appropriate, 
        be made available to States, political subdivisions of States, 
        Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations (as defined in section 4 
        of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 
        (25 U.S.C. 5304)), outpatient and inpatient substance use 
        treatment providers, other community-based behavioral health 
        organizations, and other entities as the Secretary determines 
        appropriate.
    (d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services shall give priority to eligible entities 
that are--
            (1) in a neighborhood with poverty and unemployment rates 
        that exceed the average in the United States;
            (2) in a medically underserved community;
            (3) in a neighborhood with substance use rates that exceed 
        the average in the United States; or
            (4) serving communities with rates of individuals who are 
        dually eligible for both the Medicare program under title XVIII 
        of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) and the 
        Medicaid program under title XIX of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et 
        seq.) that exceed the average in the United States.
    (e) Report.--
            (1) Submission.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
        shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress--
                    (A) not later than one year after the date of 
                enactment of this Act, an interim report on the results 
                of the grant program under this section; and
                    (B) not later than the end of fiscal year 2029, a 
                final report of such results.
            (2) Contents.--The reports required by paragraph (1) shall 
        each include--
                    (A) the total number of community mental wellness 
                workers participating in the grant program under this 
                section; and
                    (B) the total number of community mental wellness 
                workers who obtained certification through such 
                participation.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``community mental wellness worker'' means an 
        individual trained and certified by an eligible entity to 
        assist with providing basic screening and evidence-based 
        treatments to persons with a mild to moderate mental health or 
        substance use disorder, including depression, anxiety, post-
        traumatic stress disorder, and alcohol use disorder.
            (2) The term ``culturally and linguistically competent'' 
        means acknowledging and responsive to cultural differences that 
        might derive from characteristics including--
                    (A) gender;
                    (B) sex;
                    (C) sexual orientation;
                    (D) race or ethnicity;
                    (E) nationality;
                    (F) socioeconomic level;
                    (G) immigration status;
                    (H) disability;
                    (I) Tribal affiliation; and
                    (J) veteran status.
            (3) The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a certified community behavioral health clinic 
                (as described in section 223(a) of the Protecting 
                Access to Medicare Act of 2014 (42 U.S.C. 1396a note));
                    (B) a community mental health center (as described 
                in section 1913(c) of the Public Health Services Act 
                (42 U.S.C. 300x-2(c));
                    (C) a hospital that is described in section 501(c) 
                of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 
                tax under section 501(a) of such Code; and
                    (D) such other community behavioral health 
                organizations as the Secretary may specify, in 
                consultation with--
                            (i) State authorities responsible for 
                        regulating substance use and mental health 
                        providers and facilities identified in an 
                        approved State plan or waiver under section 
                        1115 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
                        1315) or under section 1915 of such Act (42 
                        U.S.C. 1396n); and
                            (ii) other State substance abuse and mental 
                        health agencies.
            (4) The term ``medically underserved community'' has the 
        meaning given to such term in section 799B of the Public Health 
        Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295b).
    (g) Funding.--
            (1) Authorization of appropriations.--To carry out this 
        Act, there are authorized to appropriated $25,000,000 for each 
        of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.
            (2) Allocation.--Of the funds authorized to be 
        appropriation to carry out this section for a fiscal year, 
        $5,000,000 shall be for the provision of training and technical 
        assistance under subsection (c).

SEC. 3. MALPRACTICE AND NEGLIGENCE SUITS AGAINST COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL 
              HEALTH CLINIC AND COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS.

    (a) In General.--Except as inconsistent with this subsection, the 
provisions of section 224 of the Public Health Service Act, (42 U.S.C. 
233), including subsections (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), and (l), shall 
apply with respect to an entity described in subsection (b) of this 
section, and any officer, governing board member, employee, or 
contractor described in subsection (c) of this section, to the same 
extent and in the same manner as such provisions apply with respect to 
an entity described in subsection (g)(4) of such section 224, and any 
officer, governing board member, employee, or contractor of such an 
entity.
    (b) Described Entities.--An entity described in this paragraph is 
an entity that--
            (1) is an eligible entity (as defined in section 2(f)(3)); 
        and
            (2) is in receipt of a grant under section 2.
    (c) Described Officers, Governing Board Members, Employees, and 
Contractors.--An officer, governing board member, employee, or 
contractor is described in this subsection if the person--
            (1) is--
                    (A) an officer, governing board member, or employee 
                of an entity described in subsection (b); or
                    (B) a contractor of such an entity who is a 
                physician or other licensed or certified health care 
                practitioner; and
            (2) is participating in the entity's program funded through 
        a grant under section 2, as indicated in a list submitted 
        pursuant to subsection (d).
    (d) List Required.--Each entity described in subsection (b) shall 
submit to the Secretary, and update as necessary, a list of each 
officer, governing board member, employee, or contractor participating 
in the entity's program funded through a grant under section 2.
    (e) Period of Applicability.--This subsection applies with respect 
to an entity described in subsection (b), and any officer, governing 
board member, employee, or contractor described in subsection (c), only 
with respect to acts and omissions occurring during the period of the 
grant referred to in subsection (b)(2).
    (f) Delayed Applicability.--This subsection applies beginning with 
respect to fiscal year 2025.
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