[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1784 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1784

 To increase language access to behavioral health services at eligible 
                health centers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                 May 31 (legislative day, May 30), 2023

Mr. Heinrich (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, and Mr. Padilla) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To increase language access to behavioral health services at eligible 
                health centers, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Mental Health Workforce and Language 
Access Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM TO INCREASE LANGUAGE ACCESS AT ELIGIBLE 
              HEALTH CENTERS.

    (a) Grants.--The Secretary shall carry out a demonstration program 
consisting of awarding grants to eligible health centers to recruit, 
hire, employ, and supervise qualified behavioral health professionals 
who--
            (1) are proficient in speaking and understanding both 
        spoken English and at least one other spoken language, 
        including any necessary specialized vocabulary, terminology, 
        and phraseology;
            (2) are able to effectively, accurately, and impartially 
        communicate directly with limited English proficient 
        individuals in their primary language; and
            (3) are, or will be, employed--
                    (A) directly by the eligible health center; or
                    (B) through a contract between the eligible health 
                center and the qualified behavioral health professional 
                under which such professional provides services as part 
                of the eligible health center's workforce or under 
                supervision by the health center, in order to provide 
                behavioral health services in another language.
    (b) Preference.--In selecting grant recipients under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall give preference to eligible health centers at 
which at least 10 percent of the patients are best served in a language 
other than English, as indicated by data in the Uniform Data System of 
the Health Resources and Services Administration (or any successor 
database).
    (c) Outreach.--An eligible health center receiving a grant under 
this section shall use a portion of the grant funds to disseminate 
information about the behavioral health services supported through the 
grant.
    (d) Reports.--
            (1) Initial report.--Not later than 6 months after the 
        first grants are awarded under subsection (a), the Secretary 
        shall submit to the Committee on Appropriations and the 
        Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
        Representatives, the Committee on Appropriations and the 
        Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 
        Senate, and other appropriate congressional committees, a 
        report on the implementation of the program under this section. 
        Such report shall include--
                    (A) the languages spoken by the qualified 
                behavioral health professionals recruited pursuant to a 
                grant under subsection (a);
                    (B) the eligible health center at which each such 
                professional was placed;
                    (C) how many eligible health centers received 
                grants under subsection (a);
                    (D) an analysis, conducted in consultation with the 
                eligible health centers receiving grants under 
                subsection (a), of the effectiveness of such grants at 
                increasing language access to behavioral health 
                services; and
                    (E) best practices, developed in consultation with 
                eligible health centers receiving grants under 
                subsection (a), for the recruitment and retention of 
                qualified behavioral health professionals at such 
                health centers.
            (2) Final report.--Not later than the end of fiscal year 
        2026, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
        Appropriations and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
        House of Representatives, the Committee on Appropriations and 
        the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 
        Senate, and other appropriate congressional committees, a final 
        report on the implementation of the program under this section, 
        including the information, analysis, and best practices 
        described in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (1).
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``eligible health center'' means a health 
        center (as defined in section 330 of the Public Health Service 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 254b)) that is already receiving assistance 
        pursuant to one or more grants under such section 330 at the 
        time of the award to such health center of a supplemental grant 
        under subsection (a).
            (2) The term ``qualified behavioral health professional'' 
        means--
                    (A) a behavioral and mental health professional (as 
                defined in section 331(a)(3)(E)(i) of the Public Health 
                Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254d(a)(3)(E)(i));
                    (B) a substance use disorder counselor;
                    (C) an occupational therapist; or
                    (D) an individual who--
                            (i) has not yet been licensed or certified 
                        to serve as a professional listed in any of 
                        subparagraphs (A) through (C); and
                            (ii) will serve at the eligible health 
                        center under the supervision of a licensed 
                        individual or certified professional so listed.
            (3) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Services.
    (f) Funding.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, out of 
amounts otherwise appropriated under section 760(g) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294k(g)), the Secretary is authorized to 
use up to $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2029 to 
carry out this section.
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