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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9796 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9796

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary 
   of Housing and Urban Development to jointly award grants for the 
purposes of improving access to, developing, or expanding services that 
  provide an individual with transportation to or from substance use 
               disorder treatment or supportive services.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 25, 2024

 Ms. Bonamici (for herself, Mr. Bacon, and Mr. Valadao) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary 
   of Housing and Urban Development to jointly award grants for the 
purposes of improving access to, developing, or expanding services that 
  provide an individual with transportation to or from substance use 
               disorder treatment or supportive services.

    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 ``Connections to Health Infrastructure 
and Emergency Recovery Services Act of 2024'' or the ``CHIERS Act of 
2024''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR TRANSPORTATION TO SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT 
              OR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--Beginning not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall jointly award grants to 
eligible entities for the purposes of improving access to, developing, 
or expanding services that provide a covered individual with 
transportation, including first and last mile transportation, to or 
from substance use disorder treatment or supportive services at no cost 
to such individual.
    (b) Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--A grant awarded under this section may be 
        used for the following purposes:
                    (A) To provide the transportation services 
                described in subsection (a) on a prescheduled or on-
                demand basis.
                    (B) To acquire a motor vehicle for the 
                transportation services described in subsection (a).
                    (C) To assist personnel who provide the 
                transportation services described in subsection (a) in 
                obtaining any license that may be required to provide 
                such services.
                    (D) To provide training and professional 
                development for personnel who provide the 
                transportation services described in subsection (a).
                    (E) To raise awareness about the transportation 
                services described in subsection (a), including through 
                expanding street outreach activities.
                    (F) For ridesharing or taxi services that provide 
                the transportation services described in subsection (a) 
                on an on-demand basis.
                    (G) For such other activities as the Secretaries 
                determine appropriate.
            (2) Exclusions.--A grant awarded under this section may not 
        be used--
                    (A) for transporting an individual to receive 
                involuntary treatment; or
                    (B) by law enforcement personnel.
    (c) Application.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under this 
section shall submit to the Secretaries an application including--
            (1) a description of the activities the eligible entity 
        plans to carry out using grant funds under this section;
            (2) the identity of each entity that the eligible entity 
        plans to partner with to conduct such activities, including the 
        activities the identified entity plans to carry out using grant 
        funds under this section; and
            (3) performance measures the eligible entity intends to use 
        to measure the effectiveness of the activities carried out 
        using grant funds under this section in reducing cancelled or 
        missed appointments.
    (d) Duration.--A grant awarded under this section shall be for a 
period of not less than 1 year.
    (e) Supplement Not Supplant.--A recipient of a grant under this 
section shall use the grant to supplement, not supplant, the level of 
State or local funds that would be made available for the activities 
funded under this section in the absence of the receipt of a grant 
under this section.
    (f) Report.--Not later than 1 year after receiving a grant under 
this section, a grantee shall submit to the Secretaries a report 
including such information as the Secretaries determine necessary to 
evaluate the performance of the grantee under the grant.
    (g) Technical Assistance.--The Secretaries--
            (1) shall jointly provide technical assistance, publish 
        best practices, and conduct outreach to grantees and eligible 
        entities under this section; and
            (2) to the extent amounts are made available in advance in 
        appropriation Acts, may make available not more than 2 percent 
        of the funds made available pursuant to this section for the 
        purposes of paragraph (1).
    (h) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered individual.--The term ``covered individual'' 
        means an individual with a substance use disorder who--
                    (A) is experiencing homelessness;
                    (B) resides in a low-income community, as such term 
                is defined in section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code 
                of 1986; or
                    (C) resides in a community in which transportation 
                poses a barrier to health care access, as determined by 
                the Secretaries.
            (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a nonprofit organization that has experience in 
                providing--
                            (i) substance use disorder treatment;
                            (ii) services to individuals experiencing 
                        homelessness; or
                            (iii) services to a population that 
                        experiences disparities in health status and 
                        health care access;
                    (B) a State or county governmental entity, or any 
                other local or regional governmental entity, including 
                a public health agency;
                    (C) an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization, as such 
                terms are defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-
                Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
                5304);
                    (D) a continuum of care established and operating 
                for a geographic area for purposes of the Continuum of 
                Care Program under subtitle C of title IV of the 
                McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381 
                et seq.);
                    (E) a Federally qualified health center, as such 
                term is defined in section 1861(aa) of the Social 
                Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa));
                    (F) a comprehensive opioid recovery center funded 
                by a grant under section 552 of the Public Health 
                Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290ee-7);
                    (G) an entity conducting street outreach funded by 
                a grant under the emergency solutions grants program 
                authorized under subtitle B of title IV of the 
                McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11371 
                et seq.);
                    (H) a consortium of 2 or more entities described in 
                this paragraph; and
                    (I) such other entities as the Secretaries 
                determine appropriate.
            (3) First and last mile transportation.--The term ``first 
        and last mile transportation'' means, for purposes of the 
        travel of a covered individual to and from substance use 
        disorder treatment or supportive services, the provision of 
        such transportation services as may be necessary to ensure that 
        the individual has transportation for the entire route to be 
        traveled, including transportation to and from a source of 
        public transit.
            (4) Law enforcement personnel.--The term ``law enforcement 
        personnel'' has the meaning given such term in section 884(g) 
        of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 464(g)).
            (5) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
        organization'' means an organization that is described in 
        section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and 
        exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.
            (6) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means--
                    (A) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
                acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental 
                Health and Substance Use; and
                    (B) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 
                acting through the Director of the Office of Special 
                Needs Assistance Programs.
            (7) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, 
        territory, or possession of the United States.
            (8) Substance use disorder.--The term ``substance use 
        disorder'' has the meaning given such term in section 1934 of 
        the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x-34).
            (9) Substance use disorder treatment.--The term ``substance 
        use disorder treatment''--
                    (A) has the meaning given such term in section 702 
                of the Office of National Drug Control Policy 
                Reauthorization Act of 1998 (21 U.S.C. 1701); and
                    (B) includes--
                            (i) an overdose prevention program; and
                            (ii) detoxification services.
            (10) Supportive services.--The term ``supportive services'' 
        has the meaning given such term in section 401 of the McKinney-
        Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360).
                                 <all>
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