I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7212 

To address the behavioral health workforce shortages through support for 

peer support specialists, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 1, 2024 

Ms. SALINAS (for herself, Mr. MANN, and Mr. CA ́RDENAS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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 address the behavioral health workforce shortages through 

support for peer support specialists, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Providing Empathetic 

5 and Effective Recovery Support Act’’ or the ‘‘PEER Sup6 port Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—In this Act, the term ‘‘peer sup3 port specialist’’ means an individual— 

4 (1)(A) who has lived experience of recovery 

5 from a mental health condition or substance use dis6 order and who specializes in supporting individuals 

7 with mental health conditions or substance use dis8 orders; or 

9 (B) who has lived experience as a parent or 

10 caregiver of an individual with a mental health con11 dition or substance use disorder and who specializes 

12 in supporting families navigating mental health or 

13 substance use service systems; and 

14 (2) who is certified as qualified to furnish peer 

15 support services, as described in subsection (b), 

16 under a process that is determined by the State in 

17 which such individual furnishes such services or de18 termined appropriate by the Secretary of Health and 

19 Human Services. 

20 (b) PEER SUPPORT SERVICES.—The services de21 scribed in this subsection shall be consistent with the Na22 tional Practice Guidelines for Peer Supporters issued by 

23 the National Association of Peer Supporters (or a suc24 cessor publication) and inclusive of the Core Competencies 

25 for Peer Workers in Behavioral Health Services of the 


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1 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administra2 tion. 

3 SEC. 3. RECOGNIZING THE PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST 

4 PROFESSION. 

5 Not later than January 1, 2025, the Director of the 

6 Office of Management and Budget shall revise the Stand7 ard Occupational Classification system to include an occu8 pational category for peer support specialists. 

9 SEC. 4. ESTABLISHING THE OFFICE OF RECOVERY. 

10 Part A of title V of the Public Health Service Act 

11 (42 U.S.C. 290aa et seq.) is amended by inserting after 

12 section 501C (42 U.S.C. 290aa–0b) the following: 

13 ‘‘SEC. 501D. OFFICE OF RECOVERY. 

14 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established, in the Sub15 stance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 

16 an Office of Recovery (referred to in this section as the 

17 ‘Office’). 

18 ‘‘(b) DIRECTOR.—The Office shall be headed by a Di19 rector who has demonstrated experience in, and lived expe20 rience with, mental health or substance use disorder recov21 ery. 

22 ‘‘(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—Through the Office of Re23 covery, the responsibilities of the Director shall include— 


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1 ‘‘(1) providing leadership in the identification of 

2 new and emerging issues related to recovery support 

3 services; 

4 ‘‘(2) supporting technical assistance, data anal5 ysis, and evaluation functions in order to assist 

6 States, localities, territories, Indian Tribes, and 

7 Tribal organizations in developing recovery support 

8 services and identifying best practices with the ob9 jective of expanding the capacity of, and access to, 

10 recovery support services; 

11 ‘‘(3) providing support for the training, edu12 cation, integration, and professionalization of the 

13 peer support specialist workforce; 

14 ‘‘(4) disseminating best practice recommenda15 tions with respect to peer support specialist training, 

16 certification, supervision, and practice to States and 

17 other entities that employ peer support specialists; 

18 ‘‘(5) supporting peer support specialists with 

19 ongoing professional development and retention ac20 tivities; and 

21 ‘‘(6) developing recommendations on creating 

22 career pathways for peer support specialists. 

23 ‘‘(d) FUNCTIONS.—Beginning on the date of enact24 ment of this section, the functions of the Office shall in25 clude the responsibilities described in subsection (c) and 


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1 the functions of the Office of Recovery of the Substance 

2 Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on the 

3 day before such date of enactment, including all of its per4 sonnel, assets, authorities, obligations, and liabilities, ex5 cept as otherwise specified in this section. 

6 ‘‘(e) DEFINITION OF PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST.— 

7 In this section, the term ‘peer support specialist’ has the 

8 meaning given such term in section 2 of the Providing 

9 Empathetic and Effective Recovery Support Act’’. 

10 SEC. 5. RESEARCH AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON CRIMINAL 

11 BACKGROUND CHECK PROCESS FOR PEER 

12 SUPPORT SPECIALISTS. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 

14 Human Services (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Sec15 retary’’), in coordination with the Attorney General, shall 

16 develop a report on research and recommendations with 

17 respect to criminal background check processes for indi18 viduals becoming peer support specialists. 

19 (b) CONTENTS.—The report under subsection (a) 

20 shall include— 

21 (1) a summary of evidence-informed literature 

22 on the effectiveness of peer support specialists in im23 proving the mental health and the substance use dis24 order recovery of other individuals; 


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1 (2) a survey of each State’s laws (including reg2 ulations) that contain criminal background check re3 quirements for serving as a peer support specialist, 

4 including— 

5 (A) an analysis of criminal offenses that 

6 are included in State laws (including regula7 tions) that prevent individuals from earning a 

8 peer support specialist certification or from 

9 practicing as a peer support specialist; 

10 (B) an analysis of requirements (if any) 

11 under the State plan under title XIX of the So12 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) or 

13 under a waiver of such plan relating to back14 ground checks for providers participating under 

15 such plan or waiver and the extent to which any 

16 such requirements differ from similar require17 ments imposed under State law (including regu18 lations); 

19 (C) an analysis of requirements (if any) of 

20 any State receiving a grant under part B of 

21 title XIX of the Public Health Service Act (42 

22 U.S.C. 300x et seq.) relating to background 

23 checks for providers participating in a program 

24 under, or otherwise providing services supported 

25 by, such grant; 


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1 (D) a review of State laws (including regu2 lations) that provide exemptions from prohibi3 tions regarding certification or practice of peer 

4 support specialists; and 

5 (E) an indication of each State that has 

6 gone through the process of amending or other7 wise changing criminal background check laws 

8 (including regulations) for the certification and 

9 practice of peer support specialists; and 

10 (3) recommendations to States on criminal 

11 background check processes that would reduce bar12 riers to becoming certified as peer support special13 ists. 

14 (c) AVAILABILITY.—Not later than 1 year after the 

15 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall— 

16 (1) post the report required under subsection 

17 (a) on the publicly accessible internet website of the 

18 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Ad19 ministration; and 

20 (2) distribute such report to— 

21 (A) State agencies responsible for certifi22 cation of peer support specialists; 

23 (B) the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

24 Services; 


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1 (C) State agencies responsible for carrying 

2 out a State plan under title XIX of the Social 

3 Security Act or under a waiver of such plan; 

4 and 

5 (D) State agencies responsible for carrying 

6 out a grant under part B of title XIX of the 

7 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x et 

8 seq.). 

Æ 


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