I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8375 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance 

to States on strategies under Medicaid and CHIP to increase pediatric 

mental and behavioral health provider education, training, recruitment, 

retention, and support, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 14, 2024 

Ms. CARAVEO (for herself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. 

JACKSON LEE, Mr. THANEDAR, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. NORTON, Ms. 

TLAIB, and Ms. STANSBURY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

to issue guidance to States on strategies under Medicaid 

and CHIP to increase pediatric mental and behavioral 

health provider education, training, recruitment, retention, and support, 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 ‘‘Strengthening Our Pe5 diatric Mental Health Workforce Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. GUIDANCE TO STATES ON STRATEGIES UNDER 

2 MEDICAID AND CHIP TO INCREASE PEDI3 ATRIC MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH 

4 PROVIDER EDUCATION, TRAINING, RECRUIT5 MENT, RETENTION, AND SUPPORT. 

6 Not later than 12 months after the date of the enact7 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 

8 Services shall issue guidance to States on strategies (in9 cluding strategies that utilize waivers under section 1115 

10 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1315) or other au11 thorities under titles XIX and XXI of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

12 1396 et seq., 1397aa et seq.)) such States may utilize 

13 under the Medicaid and CHIP programs to— 

14 (1) increase the education, training, recruit15 ment, and retention of pediatricians, child and ado16 lescent psychiatrists, and other pediatric mental and 

17 behavioral health providers that participate in such 

18 programs; 

19 (2) improve the capacity of pediatricians, child 

20 and adolescent psychiatrists, and other pediatric 

21 mental and behavioral health providers that serve 

22 populations with limited English proficiency; 

23 (3) recruit and retain pediatricians, child and 

24 adolescent psychiatrists, and other pediatric mental 

25 and behavioral health professionals that practice in 

26 rural and underserved areas; 


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1 (4) expand the capacity of the pediatric mental 

2 and behavioral health care workforce that practices 

3 in rural and underserved areas; 

4 (5) increase the recruitment and retention of 

5 racial and ethnic minorities in the pediatric mental 

6 and behavioral health professions; 

7 (6) promote the capabilities of and payments 

8 available to pediatric mental and behavioral pro9 viders across disciplines that participate in such pro10 grams through implementation of integrated care 

11 models, primary care behavioral health models, col12 laborative care models, pediatric mental health care 

13 telehealth access programs (as described in section 

14 330M(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 

15 U.S.C. 254c–19(b))), and consultation with and 

16 training of other allied professionals and community 

17 organizations engaged in pediatric mental and be18 havioral health services; and 

19 (7) improve provider participation and recruit20 ment in such programs through various incentive 

21 strategies, such as increased reimbursement, scholar22 ships, and student loan repayment programs, and to 

23 support the needs of pediatricians, child and adoles24 cent psychiatrists, and other pediatric mental and 

25 behavioral health providers that participate in such 


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1 programs to reduce rates of turnover, burnout, and 

2 intent to leave. 

3 SEC. 3. REPORT ON STRATEGIES UNDER MEDICAID AND 

4 CHIP TO INCREASE PEDIATRIC MENTAL AND 

5 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDER EDU6 CATION, TRAINING, RECRUITMENT, RETEN7 TION, AND SUPPORT. 

8 Not later than 2 years after the date of the enact9 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 

10 Services shall submit to the Committee on Health, Edu11 cation, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Com12 mittee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Rep13 resentatives, and make publicly available, a report ana14 lyzing implementation of strategies described in section 2. 

Æ 


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