[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3206 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3206

 To provide for a study on the accessibility of substance use disorder 
treatment and mental health care providers and services for farmers and 
                   ranchers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 2, 2023

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for a study on the accessibility of substance use disorder 
treatment and mental health care providers and services for farmers and 
                   ranchers, 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 ``Agricultural Access to Substance Use 
Disorder Treatment and Mental Health Care Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON ACCESSIBILITY OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT AND 
              MENTAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS AND SERVICES FOR FARMERS AND 
              RANCHERS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall--
            (1) conduct a study on the accessibility of substance use 
        disorder treatment and mental health care providers and 
        services for farmers and ranchers; and
            (2) submit a report containing the results of the study 
        conducted under paragraph (1) to--
                    (A) the Secretary of Agriculture;
                    (B) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
                    (C) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
                Forestry of the Senate;
                    (D) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                Pensions of the Senate;
                    (E) the Committee on Finance of the Senate;
                    (F) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
                Representatives;
                    (G) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
                House of Representatives; and
                    (H) the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
                Representatives.
    (b) Topics Addressed.--The study conducted under subsection (a) 
shall include an examination of the following topics:
            (1) The availability and accessibility in rural areas of 
        substance use disorder treatment and mental health care 
        providers and services that are trained and dedicated to serve 
        the needs of farmers, ranchers, agricultural workers, and their 
        family members.
            (2) Barriers and challenges faced by farmers and ranchers 
        in accessing substance use disorder treatment and mental health 
        care and health and wellness resources, including financial, 
        geographic, and cultural barriers.
            (3) Identification of best practices and successful 
        programs at the State and local levels that can be replicated 
        at the Federal level to address substance use disorder 
        treatment and mental health care needs in agricultural 
        communities, including the following:
                    (A) Hiring and training of substance use disorder 
                treatment and mental health care professionals with 
                expertise in working with agricultural communities.
                    (B) Accessing cultural competency training for 
                substance use disorder treatment and mental health care 
                professionals that lack expertise in working with 
                agricultural communities.
                    (C) Developing certificate programs for 
                paraprofessionals and coaches to offer peer-to-peer 
                support programming.
                    (D) Researching effective curricula for youth and 
                young adults to be offered in rural schools.
                    (E) Expanding telehealth and telemedicine services 
                to improve access to care in rural areas.
                    (F) Developing outreach and educational programs to 
                reduce stigma and increase awareness of mental health 
                issues among farmers and ranchers.
                    (G) Enhancing coordination and collaboration 
                between existing mental health providers and 
                agricultural organizations.
                    (H) Conducting research and evaluation to measure 
                the effectiveness of substance use disorder treatment 
                and mental health care services provided to farmers and 
                ranchers.
            (4) Utilization of, and best practices among grantees 
        through, the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network under 
        section 7522 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 
        (7 U.S.C. 5936).
            (5) Recommendations for improving the accessibility and 
        utilization of substance use disorder treatment and mental 
        health care for farmers and ranchers.
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