H. R. 1667 

One Hundred Seventeenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-two 

An Act 

To address behavioral health and well-being among health care professionals. 

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 ‘‘Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care 

Provider Protection Act’’. 

SEC. 2. DISSEMINATION OF BEST PRACTICES. 

Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of 

this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred 

to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall identify and disseminate 

evidence-based or evidence-informed best practices for preventing 

suicide and improving mental health and resiliency among health 

care professionals, and for training health care professionals in 

appropriate strategies to promote their mental health. Such best 

practices shall include recommendations related to preventing suicide and improving mental health and resiliency among health 

care professionals. 

SEC. 3. EDUCATION AND AWARENESS INITIATIVE ENCOURAGING USE 

OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES BY HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation with relevant 

stakeholders, including medical professional associations, shall 

establish a national evidence-based or evidence-informed education 

and awareness initiative— 

(1) to encourage health care professionals to seek support 

and care for their mental health or substance use concerns, 

to help such professionals identify risk factors associated with 

suicide and mental health conditions, and to help such professionals learn how best to respond to such risks, with the goal 

of preventing suicide, mental health conditions, and substance 

use disorders; and 

(2) to address stigma associated with seeking mental health 

and substance use disorder services. 

(b) REPORTING.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide to the Committee 

on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives an update on the activities and outcomes of the initiative 

under subsection (a), including a description of quantitative and 

qualitative metrics used to evaluate such activities and outcomes. 
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(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry out this sec- tion, there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each 

of fiscal years 2022 through 2024. 

SEC. 4. PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH AMONG THE 

HEALTH PROFESSIONAL WORKFORCE. 

Subpart I of part E of title VII of the Public Health Service 

Act (42 U.S.C. 294n et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

the following: 

‘‘SEC. 764. PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH AMONG THE 

HEALTH PROFESSIONAL WORKFORCE. 

‘‘(a) PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH AMONG HEALTH

CARE PROFESSIONALS.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award grants or 

contracts to health care entities, including entities that provide 

health care services, such as hospitals, community health centers, and rural health clinics, or to medical professional associations, to establish or enhance evidence-based or evidenceinformed programs dedicated to improving mental health and 

resiliency for health care professionals. 

‘‘(2) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity receiving a grant 

or contract under this subsection shall use funds received 

through the grant or contract to implement a new program 

or enhance an existing program to promote mental health 

among health care professionals, which may include— 

‘‘(A) improving awareness among health care professionals about risk factors for, and signs of, suicide and 

mental health or substance use disorders, in accordance 

with evidence-based or evidence-informed practices; 

‘‘(B) establishing new, or enhancing existing, evidencebased or evidence-informed programs for preventing suicide 

and improving mental health and resiliency among health 

care professionals; 

‘‘(C) establishing new, or enhancing existing, peer-support programs among health care professionals; or 

‘‘(D) providing mental health care, follow-up services 

and care, or referral for such services and care, as appropriate. 

‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants and contracts under 

this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible 

entities in health professional shortage areas or rural areas. 

‘‘(b) TRAINING GRANTS.—The Secretary may establish a program 

to award grants to health professions schools, academic health 

centers, State or local governments, Indian Tribes or Tribal 

organizations, or other appropriate public or private nonprofit entities (or consortia of entities, including entities promoting multidisciplinary approaches) to support the training of health care students, 

residents, or health care professionals in evidence-based or evidenceinformed strategies to address mental and substance use disorders 

and improve mental health and resiliency among health care professionals. 

‘‘(c) GRANT TERMS.—A grant or contract awarded under subsection (a) or (b) shall be for a period of 3 years. 

‘‘(d) APPLICATION SUBMISSION.—An entity seeking a grant or 

contract under subsection (a) or (b) shall submit an application 

to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 

by such information as the Secretary may require. 
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‘‘(e) REPORTING.—An entity awarded a grant or contract under 

subsection (a) or (b) shall periodically submit to the Secretary 

a report evaluating the activities supported by the grant or contract. 

‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry out this section and section 5 of the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider 

Protection Act, there are authorized to be appropriated $35,000,000 

for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2024.’’. 

SEC. 5. REVIEW WITH RESPECT TO HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL 

MENTAL HEALTH AND RESILIENCY. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the date of 

enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with relevant 

stakeholders, shall— 

(1) conduct a review on improving health care professional 

mental health and the outcomes of programs authorized under 

this Act; and 

(2) submit a report to the Congress on the results of such 

review. 

(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—The review under subsection (a) shall 

take into account— 

(1) the prevalence and severity of mental health conditions 

among health professionals, and factors that contribute to those 

mental health conditions; 

(2) barriers to seeking and accessing mental health care 

for health care professionals, which may include consideration 

of stigma and licensing concerns, and actions taken by State 

licensing boards, schools for health professionals, health care 

professional training associations, hospital associations, or 

other organizations, as appropriate, to address such barriers; 

(3) the impact of the COVID–19 public health emergency 

on the mental health of health care professionals and lessons 

learned for future public health emergencies; 

(4) factors that promote mental health and resiliency among 

health care professionals, including programs or strategies to 

strengthen mental health and resiliency among health care 

professionals; and 

(5) the efficacy of health professional training programs 

that promote resiliency and improve mental health. 

(c) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The review under subsection (a), as 

appropriate, shall identify best practices related to, and make recommendations to address— 

(1) improving mental health and resiliency among health 

care professionals; 

(2) removing barriers to mental health care for health 

care professionals; and 

(3) strategies to promote resiliency among health care 

professionals in health care settings. 

SEC. 6. GAO REPORT. 

Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this 

Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit 

to the Congress a report on the extent to which Federal substance 

use disorder and mental health grant programs address the prevalence and severity of mental health conditions and substance use 

disorders among health professionals. Such report shall— 

(1) include an analysis of available evidence and data 

related to such conditions and programs; and 
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(2) assess whether there are duplicative goals and objectives among such grant programs. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.