I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2438 

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

the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, 

to establish a grant program to be known as the Mental Health Licensure 

Portability Program to award grants to eligible entities, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 30, 2023 

Mr. NEGUSE (for himself and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 

acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to establish a grant 

program to be known as the Mental Health Licensure 

Portability Program to award grants to eligible entities, 

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 ‘‘Compacts, Access, and 

5 Responsible Expansion for Mental Health Professionals 


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1 Act’’ or the ‘‘C.A.R.E. for Mental Health Professionals 

2 Act’’. 

3 SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH LICENSURE PORTABILITY PRO4 GRAM. 

5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 

6 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

7 Health and Human Services, acting through the Adminis8 trator, shall establish a grant program to be known as the 

9 Mental Health Licensure Portability Program to award 

10 grants to eligible entities for projects to— 

11 (1) incentivize counselors to practice in States 

12 that have entered into interstate compacts for the 

13 purpose of expanding the workforce of credentialed 

14 mental health professionals; and 

15 (2) develop, operate, or maintain interstate 

16 compact commissions authorized to effectuate the 

17 provisions of interstate compacts entered into by 

18 such States. 

19 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 

20 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis21 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Health Re22 sources and Services Administration. 

23 (2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘commission’’ 

24 means a joint interstate governmental agency com25 prised of States that have entered into an interstate 


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1 compact for the purpose of implementing, facili2 tating, and effectuating provisions of such interstate 

3 compact. 

4 (3) COUNSELOR.—The term ‘‘counselor’’ means 

5 a licensed professional that is trained to give guid6 ance to individuals, families, and groups with respect 

7 to personal, social, or psychological problems. 

8 (4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti9 ty’’ means a professional, psychiatric, psychological, 

10 social work, or pediatric counseling interstate com11 pact commission or licensure board of a State that 

12 is participating in an occupational licensure inter13 state compact. 

14 (5) INTERSTATE COMPACT.—The term ‘‘com15 pact’’ means an occupational licensure agreement 

16 enacted by 2 or more States that is based on the 

17 mutual recognition of professional qualifications 

18 through criteria stipulated in such agreement, in 

19 which a State agrees to recognize the issuance of a 

20 license by another State to a counselor, psychiatrist, 

21 psychologist, or pediatric mental health professional. 

22 (6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ has the mean23 ing given the term in section 6501 of title 31, 

24 United States Code. 


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1 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

2 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 

3 $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2027. 

Æ 


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