C.A.R.E. for Mental Health Professionals Act

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2438 To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to establish a grant program to be known as the Mental Health Licensure Portability Program to award grants to eligible entities, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 30, 2023 Mr. NEGUSE (for himself and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Re- sources and Services Administration, to establish a grant program to be known as the Mental Health Licensure Portability Program to award grants to eligible entities, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Compacts, Access, and 4 Responsible Expansion for Mental Health Professionals 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:55 Apr 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2438.IH H2438 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 2438 IH Act’’ or the ‘‘C.A.R.E. for Mental Health Professionals 1 Act’’. 2 SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH LICENSURE PORTABILITY PRO- 3 GRAM. 4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 5 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 6 Health and Human Services, acting through the Adminis- 7 trator, shall establish a grant program to be known as the 8 Mental Health Licensure Portability Program to award 9 grants to eligible entities for projects to— 10 (1) incentivize counselors to practice in States 11 that have entered into interstate compacts for the 12 purpose of expanding the workforce of credentialed 13 mental health professionals; and 14 (2) develop, operate, or maintain interstate 15 compact commissions authorized to effectuate the 16 provisions of interstate compacts entered into by 17 such States. 18 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 19 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis- 20 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Health Re- 21 sources and Services Administration. 22 (2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘commission’’ 23 means a joint interstate governmental agency com- 24 prised of States that have entered into an interstate 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:55 Apr 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2438.IH H2438 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 2438 IH compact for the purpose of implementing, facili- 1 tating, and effectuating provisions of such interstate 2 compact. 3 (3) COUNSELOR.—The term ‘‘counselor’’ means 4 a licensed professional that is trained to give guid- 5 ance to individuals, families, and groups with respect 6 to personal, social, or psychological problems. 7 (4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti- 8 ty’’ means a professional, psychiatric, psychological, 9 social work, or pediatric counseling interstate com- 10 pact commission or licensure board of a State that 11 is participating in an occupational licensure inter- 12 state compact. 13 (5) INTERSTATE COMPACT.—The term ‘‘com- 14 pact’’ means an occupational licensure agreement 15 enacted by 2 or more States that is based on the 16 mutual recognition of professional qualifications 17 through criteria stipulated in such agreement, in 18 which a State agrees to recognize the issuance of a 19 license by another State to a counselor, psychiatrist, 20 psychologist, or pediatric mental health professional. 21 (6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ has the mean- 22 ing given the term in section 6501 of title 31, 23 United States Code. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:55 Apr 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2438.IH H2438 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 2438 IH (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 1 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 2 $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2027. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:55 Apr 12, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2438.IH H2438 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS