[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4677 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4677
To increase language access to mental health services at certain health
centers, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 28, 2022
Mr. Heinrich (for himself, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Klobuchar,
Mr. Booker, and Ms. Warren) 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 mental health services at certain 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 2022''.
SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM TO INCREASE LANGUAGE ACCESS AT FEDERALLY
QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS.
(a) Loan Repayments to Qualified Mental Health Professionals.--
(1) In general.--For the purpose of increasing language
access to mental health services, the Secretary shall carry out
a demonstration project under which--
(A) the Secretary matches qualified mental health
professionals with Federally qualified health centers;
(B) the qualified mental health professionals each
agree to a period of obligated service at a Federally
qualified health center with which they are so matched;
and
(C) the Secretary agrees to make loan repayments
under section 338B of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 254l-1) on behalf of such qualified mental
health professionals.
(2) Preference.--In matching qualified mental health
professionals with Federally qualified health centers under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give preference to placement
at Federally qualified health centers at which at least 20
percent of the patients are best served in a language other
than English, as indicated by data in the Uniform Data System
(or any successor database) or as otherwise determined by the
Secretary.
(3) Enhanced compensation.--For each year of obligated
service that a qualified mental health professional contracts
to serve under paragraph (1) at a Federally qualified health
center at which at least 20 percent of the patients are best
served in a language other than English, as indicated by data
in the Uniform Data System (or any successor database) or as
otherwise determined by the Secretary, the Secretary shall pay
the qualified mental health professional--
(A) except as provided in subparagraph (B), $10,000
above the maximum amount otherwise applicable under
section 338B(g)(2)(A) of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 254l-1(g)(2)(A)); or
(B) if the qualified mental health professional is
fluent in a language other than English that is needed
by such Federally qualified health center, $15,000
above such maximum amount.
(4) Achieving fluency.--A qualified mental health
professional subject to the pay amount specified in paragraph
(3)(A) at the beginning of the professional's period of
obligated service may transition to being subject to the higher
pay amount specified in paragraph (3)(B) if the professional is
determined by the Federally qualified health center at which
the professional serves to have achieved fluency in a language
other than English needed by that health center.
(b) Grants to Health Centers.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a
demonstration program consisting of awarding grants under
section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b)
to Federally qualified health centers to recruit, hire, employ,
and supervise qualified mental health professionals who are
fluent in a language other than English to provide mental
health services in such other language.
(2) Preference.--In selecting grant recipients under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give preference to Federally
qualified health centers at which at least 20 percent of the
patients are best served in a language other than English, as
indicated by data in the Uniform Data System (or any successor
database) or as otherwise determined by the Secretary.
(3) Marketing.--A Federally qualified health center
receiving a grant under this subsection shall use a portion of
the grant funds to disseminate information about, and otherwise
market, the mental health services supported through the grant.
(c) Reports.--
(1) Initial report.--Not later than 6 months after the
first loan repayment awards have been made under subsection (a)
and the first grants have been awarded under subsection (b),
the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations
of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and to other
appropriate congressional committees, a report on the
implementation of the programs under this section. Such report
shall include--
(A) the languages spoken by the qualified mental
health professionals receiving loan repayments pursuant
to subsection (a) or recruited pursuant to a grant
under subsection (b);
(B) the Federally qualified health centers at which
such professionals were placed;
(C) how many Federally qualified health centers
received funding through the grant program under
subsection (b);
(D) an analysis, conducted in consultation with the
Federally qualified health centers receiving grants
under section (b), of the effectiveness of such grants
at increasing language access to mental health
services; and
(E) best practices, developed in consultation with
Federally qualified health centers receiving grants
under section (b), for the recruitment and retention of
mental health professionals at Federally qualified
health centers.
(2) Final report.--Not later than September 30, 2026, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of
the House of Representatives and the Senate, and to other
appropriate congressional committees, a final report on the
implementation of the programs under this section, including
the information, analysis, and best practices listed in
subparagraphs (A) through (E) of paragraph (1).
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Federally qualified health center.--The term
``Federally qualified health center'' has the meaning given the
term in section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1395x(aa)).
(2) Qualified mental health professional.--The term
``qualified mental health professional'' means--
(A) a physician, allopathic physician, osteopathic
physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant
with a specialty in mental health and psychiatry;
(B) a health service psychologist;
(C) a licensed clinical social worker;
(D) a psychiatric nurse specialist;
(E) a marriage and family therapist;
(F) a licensed professional counselor;
(G) a substance use disorder counselor;
(H) an occupational therapist; or
(I) any other individual who--
(i) has not yet been licensed or certified
to serve as a professional listed in any of
subparagraphs (A) through (H); and
(ii) will serve at the Federally qualified
health center under the supervision of a
licensed individual or certified professional
so listed.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--To carry out this section, there is
authorized to be appropriated $75,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2023 through 2027.
(2) Supplement not supplant.--Amounts made available to
carry out this section shall be in addition to amounts
otherwise available to provide mental health services at
Federally qualified health centers pursuant to sections 338B
and 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1,
254b).
<all>