[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 7 (Monday, January 22, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S319]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. INOUYE:
  S. 46. A bill to amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to 
authorize the use of clinical social workers to conduct evaluations to 
determine work-related emotional and mental illnesses; to the Committee 
on Governmental Affairs.


            clinical social workers' recognition act of 2001

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce the Clinical 
Social Workers' Recognition Act of 2001 to correct a continuing problem 
in the Federal Employees Compensation Act. This bill will also provide 
clinical social workers the recognition they deserve as independent 
providers of quality mental health care services.
  Clinical social workers are authorized to independently diagnose and 
treat mental illnesses through public and private health insurance 
plans across the nation. However, Title V, United States Code, does not 
permit the use of mental health evaluations conducted by clinical 
social workers for use as evidence in determining workers' compensation 
claims brought by federal employees. The bill I am introducing corrects 
this problem.
  It is a sad irony that federal employees may select a clinical social 
worker through their health plans to provide mental health services, 
but may not go to this professional for workers' compensation 
evaluations. The failure to recognize the validity of evaluations 
provided by clinical social workers unnecessarily limits federal 
employees' selection of a provider to conduct the workers' compensation 
mental health evaluations. Lack of this recognition may well impose an 
undue burden on federal employees where clinical social workers are the 
only available providers of mental health care.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 46

       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 ``Clinical Social Workers' 
     Recognition Act of 2001''.

     SEC. 2. EXAMINATIONS BY CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKERS FOR FEDERAL 
                   WORKER COMPENSATION CLAIMS.

       Section 8101 of title 5, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (2) by striking ``and osteopathic 
     practitioners'' and inserting ``osteopathic practitioners, 
     and clinical social workers''; and
       (2) in paragraph (3) by striking ``osteopathic 
     practitioners'' and inserting ``osteopathic practitioners, 
     clinical social workers,''.
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