Community Mental Wellness Worker Training Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5733 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5733

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through
 the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to award
   grants to train community mental wellness workers, and for other
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 10, 2025

  Mr. Espaillat (for himself and Mr. Lawler) introduced the following
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through
 the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to award
   grants to train community mental wellness workers, 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 ``Community Mental Wellness Worker
Training Act''.

SEC. 2. TRAINING COMMUNITY MENTAL WELLNESS WORKERS.

    Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
290dd) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 554. TRAINING COMMUNITY MENTAL WELLNESS WORKERS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Assistant
Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, may award grants to
eligible entities to implement community mental wellness worker
training programs.
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives a grant under
this section shall use the funds received through such grant to carry
out a community mental wellness worker training program, which may
include--
            ``(1) supporting training, certification, and supervision
        during and after training of community mental wellness workers
        and community mental wellness supervisors--
                    ``(A) to screen for common mental health and
                substance use conditions; and
                    ``(B) to deliver evidence-informed, culturally and
                linguistically competent counseling and interviewing
                interventions addressing basic psychosocial or
                psychotherapeutic treatment needs of persons with or at
                risk for mental and substance use disorders, including
                safety planning and interventions to reduce suicide
                risk; and
            ``(2) covering costs associated with--
                    ``(A) the acquisition and use of digital platforms
                to provide the screening, training, supervision, and
                ongoing quality assurance monitoring, outcomes
                evaluation, and delivery of evidence-based treatments;
                    ``(B) the delivery of counseling and interviewing
                interventions described in paragraph (1)(B); and
                    ``(C) the clinical supervision (during and after
                training) of community mental wellness workers and the
                certification of such workers upon the completion of
                required training.
    ``(c) Community Mental Wellness Technical Assistance.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may provide appropriate
        training and technical assistance to eligible entities
        receiving a grant under this section in meeting the
        requirements of this section, including by--
                    ``(A) consulting with such recipients on evidence-
                based employment practices for community mental
                wellness workers, including assistance with integrating
                community wellness workers into the workflows of such
                recipients and other eligible entities;
                    ``(B) identifying a diverse array of candidates for
                community mental wellness worker training; and
                    ``(C) identifying behavioral health providers who
                may benefit from and employ community mental wellness
                workers.
            ``(2) Additional dissemination of technical assistance.--
        The information and resources provided by the Secretary under
        paragraph (1) shall be made available to States, political
        subdivisions of States, Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations
        (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and
        Education Assistance Act), outpatient and inpatient substance
        use treatment providers, other community-based behavioral
        health organizations, and other entities as the Secretary
        determines appropriate.
    ``(d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that are located--
            ``(1) in an area with rates of poverty and unemployment
        that exceed the average in the United States, as determined by
        the survey conducted by the Secretary of Commerce commonly
        referred to as the `American Community Survey' (or any
        successor survey);
            ``(2) in a medically underserved community;
            ``(3) in an area with rates of substance use that exceed
        the average in the United States, as determined by the National
        Institute on Drug Abuse; or
            ``(4) serving communities with rates of individuals who are
        dually eligible for both the Medicare program under title XVIII
        of the Social Security Act and the Medicaid program under title
        XIX of such Act that exceed the average in the United States.
    ``(e) Malpractice and Negligence Suits Against Community Behavioral
Health Clinic and Community Mental Health Centers.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as inconsistent with this
        subsection, the provisions of section 224, including
        subsections (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), and (l) of such section,
        shall apply with respect to acts and omissions of a covered
        entity that occur during the period of the grant under this
        section, to the same extent and in the same manner as such
        provisions apply with respect to an entity described in
        subsection (g)(4) of such section 224, and any officer,
        governing board member, employee, or contractor of such an
        entity.
            ``(2) List required.--Each covered entity described in
        paragraph (3)(A) shall submit to the Secretary, and update as
        necessary, a list of each officer, governing board member,
        employee, or contractor participating in the entity's program
        funded through a grant under this section.
            ``(3) Covered entity defined.--In this subsection, the term
        `covered entity' means an entity that--
                    ``(A) is an eligible entity (as defined in
                subsection (g)(3)) in receipt of a grant under this
                section; and
                    ``(B)(i) is an officer, governing board member, or
                employee of such an entity or a contractor of such an
                entity who is a physician or other licensed or
                certified health care practitioner; and
                    ``(ii) is participating in the entity's program
                funded through a grant under this section, as indicated
                in a list submitted pursuant to paragraph (3).
            ``(4) Delayed applicability.--This subsection applies
        beginning with respect to the first full fiscal year that
        begins after the date of the enactment of this section.
    ``(f) Report.--
            ``(1) Submission.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress--
                    ``(A) not later than one year after the date of
                enactment of this section, an interim report on the
                results of the grant program under this section; and
                    ``(B) not later than the end of fiscal year 2030, a
                final report of such results.
            ``(2) Contents.--The reports required by paragraph (1)
        shall each include--
                    ``(A) the total number of community mental wellness
                workers participating in the grant program under this
                section; and
                    ``(B) the total number of community mental wellness
                workers who obtained certification through such
                participation.
    ``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) The term `community mental wellness worker' means an
        individual trained and certified by an eligible entity to
        assist with providing basic screening and evidence-based
        treatments to individuals with a mild to moderate mental health
        or substance use disorder, including depression, anxiety, post-
        traumatic stress disorder, and alcohol use disorder.
            ``(2) The term `culturally and linguistically competent'
        means, with respect to the provision of counseling and
        interviewing interventions, providing such services in a manner
        that acknowledges, and is responsive to, cultural differences
        that may derive from characteristics of the individual
        receiving such services, including--
                    ``(A) gender;
                    ``(B) sex;
                    ``(C) sexual orientation;
                    ``(D) race or ethnicity;
                    ``(E) nationality;
                    ``(F) socioeconomic level;
                    ``(G) immigration status;
                    ``(H) disability;
                    ``(I) Tribal affiliation; and
                    ``(J) veteran status.
            ``(3) The term `eligible entity' means--
                    ``(A) a certified community behavioral health
                clinic (as described in section 223(a) of the
                Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014);
                    ``(B) a community mental health center (as
                described in section 1913(c));
                    ``(C) a hospital that is described in section
                501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt
                from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code; and
                    ``(D) such other community behavioral health
                organizations as the Secretary may specify, in
                consultation with--
                            ``(i) State authorities responsible for
                        regulating substance use and mental health
                        providers and facilities receiving
                        reimbursement under a State plan under title
                        XIX of the Social Security Act (or a waiver of
                        such plan); and
                            ``(ii) other State substance abuse and
                        mental health agencies.
            ``(4) The term `medically underserved community' has the
        meaning given such term in section 799B.
    ``(h) Funding.--
            ``(1) Authorization of appropriations.--There are
        authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section,
        $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
            ``(2) Allocation.--Of the funds authorized to be
        appropriated to carry out this section for a fiscal year, not
        less than 20 percent shall be reserved for the provision of
        training and technical assistance under subsection (c).''.
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