I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5025 
To amend the Public Health Service Act and the Social Security Act to 
extend health information technology assistance eligibility to behavioral 
health, mental health, and substance abuse professionals and facilities, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 14, 2010 
Mr. KENNEDY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act and the Social 
Security Act to extend health information technology as-
sistance eligibility to behavioral health, mental health, 
and substance abuse professionals and facilities, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘HITECH Extension 
for Behavioral Health Services Act of 2010’’. 
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SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF HEALTH INFORMATION TECH-
NOLOGY ASSISTANCE FOR BEHAVIORAL AND 
MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE. 
Section 3000(3) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 300jj(3)) is amended by inserting before ‘‘and any 
other category’’ the following: ‘‘behavioral and mental 
health 
professionals 
(as 
defined 
in 
section 
331(a)(3)(E)(i)), a substance abuse professional, a psy-
chiatric hospital (as defined in section 1861(f) of the So-
cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(f))), a behavioral and 
mental health clinic, a substance abuse treatment facil-
ity,’’. 
SEC. 3. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 
GRANT PROGRAM. 
Title XXX of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 300jj et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 3019. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH INFORMATION TECH-
NOLOGY GRANT PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 
the National Coordinator, shall award grants to eligible 
entities for the purpose of conducting activities described 
in subsection (b). 
‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.—A grant awarded under sub-
section (a) may be used by an eligible entity to— 
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‘‘(1) facilitate the purchase of health informa-
tion technology; 
‘‘(2) enhance the use of health information 
technology, including covering costs associated with 
upgrading health information technology in order to 
meet the criteria required to become a certified 
EHR technology; 
‘‘(3) train personnel in the use of health infor-
mation technology; 
‘‘(4) improve the secure electronic exchange of 
health information among behavioral and mental 
health professionals, substance abuse professionals, 
and other health care providers, including those pro-
viding primary care services; 
‘‘(5) improve health information technology for 
adaptation to community-based behavioral heath set-
tings; 
‘‘(6) assist with the implementation of telemedi-
cine, including facilitation of distance clinical con-
sultations in rural and underserved areas; and 
‘‘(7) collaborate and integrate with health infor-
mation technology regional extension centers (as de-
scribed in section 3012(c)). 
‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—For the purposes of this 
section, the term ‘eligible entity’ means a mental health 
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treatment facility, substance abuse treatment facility, or 
psychiatric hospital (as defined in section 1861(f) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(f))— 
‘‘(1) that is not otherwise receiving payment 
under section 1886(n) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395ww(n)) or section 1903(t) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b(t)); 
‘‘(2) at which no services are furnished by an 
eligible professional who is receiving payment under 
section 1848(o) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395w–4(o)); and 
‘‘(3) that provides assurances to the satisfaction 
of the Secretary that such facility will use such 
funds to satisfy the requirements to be treated as a 
meaningful EHR user, as defined in section 
1886(n)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395ww(n)(3)), or to become eligible for a payment 
under section 1903(t) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1396b(t)). 
‘‘(d) STANDARDS FOR ACQUISITION OF HEALTH IN-
FORMATION TECHNOLOGY.—To the greatest extent prac-
ticable, the Secretary shall ensure that where funds are 
expended under this section for the acquisition of health 
information technology, such funds shall be used to ac-
quire health information technology that meets applicable 
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