I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8942 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health 

and Human Services to award grants to schools and school-based health 

centers to increase the number of behavioral health care providers in 

such schools and health centers, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 10, 2020 

Mr. KENNEDY (for himself and Mr. FERGUSON) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the 

Secretary of Health and Human Services to award 

grants to schools and school-based health centers to increase the number of behavioral health care providers 

in such schools and health centers, 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 ‘‘Advancing Student 

5 Services In Schools Today Act’’ or the ‘‘ASSIST Act’’. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 8942 IH

1 SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF 

2 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN 

3 SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CEN4 TERS. 

5 Subpart I of part D of title III of the Public Health 

6 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b et seq.) is amended by adding 

7 at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘SEC. 330N. GRANT PROGRAM TO INCREASE BEHAVIORAL 

9 HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN SCHOOLS AND 

10 SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTERS. 

11 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 months after 

12 the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary, 

13 in consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall 

14 award grants to schools and school-based health centers 

15 to increase the number of behavioral health care providers 

16 in such schools and health centers. 

17 ‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—A school or school-based health 

18 center seeking a grant under this section shall submit an 

19 application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 

20 and accompanied by such information as the Secretary 

21 may require, including a description of— 

22 ‘‘(1) the behavioral health needs of the school 

23 or health center; and 

24 ‘‘(2) with respect to the student population 

25 served by the school or health center, how the school 

26 or health center will ensure that the behavioral 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 8942 IH

1 health care providers increased at the school or 

2 health center, and the services administered by such 

3 providers, are culturally and linguistically diverse. 

4 ‘‘(c) REPORTS.— 

5 ‘‘(1) SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH

6 CENTERS.—A school or school-based health center 

7 receiving a grant under this section shall submit an 

8 annual report to the Secretary accompanied by such 

9 information as the Secretary may require, includ10 ing— 

11 ‘‘(A) the number of behavioral health care 

12 providers increased at the school or health cen13 ter through the grant; 

14 ‘‘(B) the types of services provided by the 

15 behavioral health care providers and the effi16 cacy of such services; 

17 ‘‘(C) the practices used by the school or 

18 health center to recruit and retain behavioral 

19 health care providers; and 

20 ‘‘(D) the rates of retention of behavioral 

21 health care providers at the school or health 

22 center. 

23 ‘‘(2) SECRETARY.—Not later than 18 months 

24 after the date of the enactment of this section, and 

25 annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 8942 IH

1 Congress a report on the effectiveness of the grants 

2 awarded pursuant to this section. 

3 ‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 ‘‘(1) BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.— 

5 The term ‘behavioral health care provider’ means an 

6 individual who is licensed to provide mental and be7 havioral health services, including— 

8 ‘‘(A) a school counselor; 

9 ‘‘(B) a school psychologist or any other 

10 psychologist; 

11 ‘‘(C) a psychiatrist who specializes in child 

12 or adolescent psychiatry; and 

13 ‘‘(D) a school social worker. 

14 ‘‘(2) SCHOOL.—The term ‘school’ means— 

15 ‘‘(A) an elementary school or secondary 

16 school (as such terms are defined in section 

17 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu18 cation Act of 1965); 

19 ‘‘(B) an institution of higher education (as 

20 defined in section 101 of the Higher Education 

21 Act of 1965); and 

22 ‘‘(C) a school operated by the Bureau of 

23 Indian Affairs. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 8942 IH

1 ‘‘(3) SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTER.—The 

2 term ‘school-based health center’ has the meaning 

3 given such term in section 399Z–1(a)(3).’’. 

4 SEC. 3. INCREASING THE APPLICABLE FMAP FOR STATE 

5 EXPENDITURES ATTRIBUTABLE TO CERTAIN 

6 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES. 

7 Section 1905 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

8 1396d) is amended— 

9 (1) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘and (ff)’’ and 

10 inserting ‘‘(ff), and (gg)’’; and 

11 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub12 section: 

13 ‘‘(gg)(1) Notwithstanding any preceding provision of 

14 this section, with respect to State expenditures for medical 

15 assistance consisting of behavioral health services fur16 nished at a school (as defined in section 330N(d) of the 

17 Public Health Service Act) or at a school-based health cen18 ter (as defined in section 399Z–1(a)(3) of such Act) on 

19 or after the date that is 3 months after the date of the 

20 enactment of this subsection, the Federal medical assist21 ance percentage otherwise determined under subsection 

22 (b) shall, subject to paragraph (2), be equal to 90 percent. 

23 ‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply in the case of 

24 State expenditures described in such paragraph if applica25 tion of such paragraph would result in a lower Federal 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 8942 IH

1 medical assistance percentage for such expenditures than 

2 would otherwise apply without application of such para3 graph.’’. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS