Kidd’s Stuttering Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6364 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6364

   To amend titles XI, XIX, and XXI of the Social Security Act with
  respect to screening for childhood onset fluency disorders, and to
require coverage of certain speech therapy services under Medicaid and
                                 CHIP.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 2, 2025

Mr. McDowell (for himself, Mr. Figures, and Mr. Vindman) introduced the
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To amend titles XI, XIX, and XXI of the Social Security Act with
  respect to screening for childhood onset fluency disorders, and to
require coverage of certain speech therapy services under Medicaid and
                                 CHIP.

    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 ``Kidd's Stuttering Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDING SCREENING AND REQUIRING COVERAGE OF CERTAIN SPEECH
              THERAPY SERVICES UNDER MEDICAID AND CHIP.

    (a) Inclusion of Screening for Stuttering and Speech Fluency in
Core Set of Child Health Quality Measures.--Section 1139A(b)(5) of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-9a(b)(5)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Beginning no later than'' and inserting
        the following:
                    ``(A) In general.--Beginning no later than''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(B) Screening for stuttering and speech
                fluency.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Not later than January
                        1, 2026, the Secretary shall publish changes to
                        the core measures described in subsection (a)
                        to include measures of screening for childhood-
                        onset fluency disorders, including stuttering,
                        for children who have attained the age of 2
                        (and have not attained the age of 6).
                            ``(ii) Publication.--The Secretary shall
                        publish the changes required by clause (i) at
                        the same time and in the same manner as the
                        relevant annual recommended changes required
                        under subparagraph (A).''.
    (b) Required Screening for Stuttering and Speech Fluency in
Medicaid Well-Child Visits.--Section 1905(r)(1)(B) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(r)(1)(B)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (iv), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in clause (v), by striking the period at the end and
        inserting ``, and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                            ``(vi) beginning January 1, 2027, for
                        children who have attained the age of 2 (and
                        have not attained the age of 6), screening for
                        childhood-onset fluency disorders, including
                        stuttering.''.
    (c) Required Coverage of Certain Speech Therapy Services.--
            (1) Medicaid.--Title XIX of the Social Security Act (42
        U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) is amended--
                    (A) in section 1902(a)--
                            (i) in paragraph (10)(A), by striking ``and
                        (30)'' and inserting ``(30), and (32)'';
                            (ii) in paragraph (88)(B)(iii), by striking
                        ``and'' at the end;
                            (iii) in paragraph (89), by striking the
                        period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iv) by adding at the end the following new
                        paragraph:
            ``(90) provide that the treatment limitations applicable to
        specified speech therapy services (as defined in section
        1905(ll)) are no more restrictive than the treatment
        limitations applicable to any speech therapy services for the
        treatment of expressive language disorder, receptive language
        disorder, mixed expressive and receptive language disorder, or
        articulation, for which medical assistance is provided under
        the State plan (or waiver of such plan).''; and
                    (B) in section 1905--
                            (i) in subsection (a)--
                                    (I) in paragraph (31), by striking
                                ``and'' at the end;
                                    (II) by redesignating paragraph
                                (32) as paragraph (33); and
                                    (III) by inserting after paragraph
                                (31) the following new paragraph:
            ``(32) beginning on January 1, 2027, specified speech
        therapy services (as defined in subsection (ll)); and''; and
                            (ii) by adding at the end the following new
                        subsection:
    ``(ll) Specified Speech Therapy Services.--For purposes of
subsection (a)(32), the term `specified speech therapy services'--
            ``(1) means speech therapy services for the treatment of
        childhood-onset fluency disorders, including stuttering; and
            ``(2) includes such services delivered through real-time,
        audio and video telecommunications technology.''.
            (2) CHIP.--
                    (A) In general.--Section 2103(c) of the Social
                Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397cc(c)) is amended by adding
                at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(13) Required coverage of certain speech therapy
        services.--Beginning January 1, 2027, the child health
        assistance provided to a targeted low-income child shall
        include coverage of specified speech therapy services (as such
        term is defined in section 1905(ll)).''.
                    (B) Treatment parity.--Section 2107(e)(1) of the
                Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397gg(e)(1)) is
                amended--
                            (i) by redesignating subparagraphs (I)
                        through (W) as subparagraphs (J) through (X),
                        respectively; and
                            (ii) by inserting after subparagraph (H)
                        the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(I) Section 1902(a)(90) (relating to parity in
                coverage of speech therapy services).''.
                                 <all>