II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3688 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 

the Director of the Center for Mental Health Services of the Substance 

Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to award grants, 

contracts, or cooperative agreements to facilitate the funding of community-based mental health and substance use disorder services and peer 

support programs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 

Mr. WARNOCK (for himself, Ms. STABENOW, and Mr. PADILLA) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 

acting through the Director of the Center for Mental 

Health Services of the Substance Abuse and Mental 

Health Services Administration, to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to facilitate the funding 

of community-based mental health and substance use 

disorder services and peer support programs, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Access to 

3 Tele-Behavioral Health Services Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. AWARDS FOR COMMUNITY-BASED MENTAL HEALTH 

5 AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES 

6 AND PEER SUPPORT PROGRAMS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

8 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health 

9 and Human Services (referred to in this section as the 

10 ‘‘Secretary’’), acting through the Director of the Center 

11 for Mental Health Services of the Substance Abuse and 

12 Mental Health Services Administration, shall establish a 

13 program (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Program’’) to 

14 facilitate the funding of community-based mental health 

15 and substance use disorder services and peer support pro16 grams, including services provided virtually. 

17 (b) AWARD AUTHORITY.—In carrying out the Pro18 gram, the Secretary shall award grants, contracts, or co19 operative agreements in accordance with this section. 

20 (c) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS.—The Secretary may 

21 make an award under the Program to an eligible recipient 

22 determined by the Secretary to be authorized and capable 

23 of carrying out a project described in subsection (d). 

24 (d) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds awarded under the Pro25 gram may be used to— 


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1 (1) identify and coordinate care between pro2 grams that provide access to community-based men3 tal health and substance use disorder services for ju4 veniles and assist in the coordination of such serv5 ices; 

6 (2) identify and coordinate care between pro7 grams that provide access to community-based men8 tal health and substance use disorder services for 

9 adults and assist in the coordination of such serv10 ices; 

11 (3) obtain technology required to provide com12 munity-based mental health and substance use dis13 order services virtually, through audio or video tele14 health services; 

15 (4) compensate a health care provider or a peer 

16 specialist for the provision of community-based men17 tal health and substance use disorder services, in18 cluding services provided virtually; 

19 (5) provide education assistance to an indi20 vidual seeking certification as a peer specialist; 

21 (6) provide for workforce development, recruit22 ment, and retention activities, to train, recruit, and 

23 retain peer specialists; 

24 (7) support the provision of peer specialist-fa25 cilitated mental health and substance use disorder 


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1 support services on a virtual platform by an entity 

2 that, prior to the award, was providing such services 

3 in-person; or 

4 (8) expand or improve virtual, peer specialist5 facilitated mental health and substance use disorder 

6 support services carried out by the entity prior to 

7 the date of enactment of this Act. 

8 (e) APPLICATIONS.—To be eligible for an award 

9 under the Program, an eligible recipient shall submit to 

10 the Secretary an application in such form, at such time, 

11 and containing such information as the Secretary deter12 mines to be appropriate. 

13 (f) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 90 days after the 

14 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue 

15 guidance on the requirements an eligible recipient shall 

16 take to provide community-based mental health and sub17 stance use disorder services. 

18 (g) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—Federal funds 

19 awarded to an eligible recipient pursuant to the Program 

20 shall be used to supplement, but not supplant, any other 

21 Federal, State, or local funds available to such eligible re22 cipient. 

23 (h) REPORT.— 

24 (1) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the 

25 date on which funds are distributed under the ProVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:59 Feb 24, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3688.IS S3688

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1 gram, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 

2 submit to Congress a report on the Program that in3 cludes— 

4 (A) the number of awards made under the 

5 Program; 

6 (B) the physical location of each awardee 

7 selected under the Program; 

8 (C) the amount requested and amount 

9 awarded for each award under the Program; 

10 and 

11 (D) whether funds were used during the 

12 COVID–19 public health emergency. 

13 (2) PUBLICATION REQUIREMENT.—On the date 

14 on which a report is submitted under paragraph (1) 

15 or (2), the Secretary shall publish such report on the 

16 website of the Department of Health and Human 

17 Services. 

18 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

19 authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Program 

20 $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027. 

21 (j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

22 (1) COVID–19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.— 

23 The term ‘‘COVID–19 public health emergency’’ 

24 means the public health emergency declared by the 

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1 tion 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 

2 U.S.C. 247d) on January 27, 2020, with respect to 

3 COVID–19. 

4 (2) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT.—The term ‘‘eligible 

5 recipient’’ means— 

6 (A) a department of health or a depart7 ment of public health, in coordination with a 

8 State; 

9 (B) a nonprofit health program that pri10 marily serves individuals with mental health or 

11 substance abuse disorders; 

12 (C) community-based nonprofit entity, that 

13 is a consumer-controlled and is certified in ac14 cordance with applicable State law to deliver 

15 peer specialist support services at a State or 

16 local level; 

17 (D) an institution of higher education (as 

18 defined in section 101 of the Higher Education 

19 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), providing serv20 ice learning and civic-engagement courses for 

21 peer specialist training; 

22 (E) a State or local law enforcement agen23 cy or other State first responder agency; or 

24 (F) an Indian Tribe or Tribal organiza25 tion. 


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1 (3) HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.—The term 

2 ‘‘health care provider’’ means a certified provider 

3 who provides mental health and substance use dis4 order services. 

5 (4) INDIAN TRIBE; TRIBAL ORGANIZATION.— 

6 The terms ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ and ‘‘Tribal organiza7 tion’’ have the meanings given the terms ‘‘Indian 

8 tribe’’ and ‘‘tribal organization’’ in section 4 of the 

9 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 

10 Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 

11 (5) PEER SPECIALIST.—The term ‘‘peer spe12 cialist’’ includes— 

13 (A) a certified peer specialist; 

14 (B) a peer recovery specialist; and 

15 (C) a recovery coach. 

16 (6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means a State 

17 of the United States, the District of Columbia, or 

18 any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 

19 United States, or an Indian Tribe. 

Æ 


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