I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5733 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to award 
grants to train community mental wellness workers, and for other pur-
poses. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 10, 2025 
Mr. ESPAILLAT (for himself and Mr. LAWLER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health 
and Substance Use, to award grants to train community 
mental wellness workers, 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 ‘‘Community Mental 
Wellness Worker Training Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. TRAINING COMMUNITY MENTAL WELLNESS WORK-
ERS. 
Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 290dd) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘SEC. 554. TRAINING COMMUNITY MENTAL WELLNESS 
WORKERS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance 
Use, may award grants to eligible entities to implement 
community mental wellness worker training programs. 
‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
a grant under this section shall use the funds received 
through such grant to carry out a community mental 
wellness worker training program, which may include— 
‘‘(1) supporting training, certification, and su-
pervision during and after training of community 
mental wellness workers and community mental 
wellness supervisors— 
‘‘(A) to screen for common mental health 
and substance use conditions; and 
‘‘(B) to deliver evidence-informed, cul-
turally and linguistically competent counseling 
and interviewing interventions addressing basic 
psychosocial or psychotherapeutic treatment 
needs of persons with or at risk for mental and 
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substance use disorders, including safety plan-
ning and interventions to reduce suicide risk; 
and 
‘‘(2) covering costs associated with— 
‘‘(A) the acquisition and use of digital 
platforms to provide the screening, training, su-
pervision, and ongoing quality assurance moni-
toring, outcomes evaluation, and delivery of evi-
dence-based treatments; 
‘‘(B) the delivery of counseling and inter-
viewing interventions described in paragraph 
(1)(B); and 
‘‘(C) the clinical supervision (during and 
after training) of community mental wellness 
workers and the certification of such workers 
upon the completion of required training. 
‘‘(c) COMMUNITY MENTAL WELLNESS TECHNICAL 
ASSISTANCE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may provide 
appropriate training and technical assistance to eli-
gible entities receiving a grant under this section in 
meeting the requirements of this section, including 
by— 
‘‘(A) consulting with such recipients on 
evidence-based employment practices for com-
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munity mental wellness workers, including as-
sistance with integrating community wellness 
workers into the workflows of such recipients 
and other eligible entities; 
‘‘(B) identifying a diverse array of can-
didates for community mental wellness worker 
training; and 
‘‘(C) identifying behavioral health pro-
viders who may benefit from and employ com-
munity mental wellness workers. 
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL
DISSEMINATION
OF
TECH-
NICAL ASSISTANCE.—The information and resources 
provided by the Secretary under paragraph (1) shall 
be made available to States, political subdivisions of 
States, Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations (as 
defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination 
and Education Assistance Act), outpatient and inpa-
tient substance use treatment providers, other com-
munity-based behavioral health organizations, and 
other entities as the Secretary determines appro-
priate. 
‘‘(d) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities 
that are located— 
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‘‘(1) in an area with rates of poverty and unem-
ployment that exceed the average in the United 
States, as determined by the survey conducted by 
the Secretary of Commerce commonly referred to as 
the ‘American Community Survey’ (or any successor 
survey); 
‘‘(2) in a medically underserved community; 
‘‘(3) in an area with rates of substance use that 
exceed the average in the United States, as deter-
mined by the National Institute on Drug Abuse; or 
‘‘(4) serving communities with rates of individ-
uals who are dually eligible for both the Medicare 
program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act 
and the Medicaid program under title XIX of such 
Act that exceed the average in the United States. 
‘‘(e) 
MALPRACTICE
AND
NEGLIGENCE
SUITS 
AGAINST COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINIC AND 
COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as inconsistent with 
this subsection, the provisions of section 224, includ-
ing subsections (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), and (l) of such 
section, shall apply with respect to acts and omis-
sions of a covered entity that occur during the pe-
riod of the grant under this section, to the same ex-
tent and in the same manner as such provisions 
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apply with respect to an entity described in sub-
section (g)(4) of such section 224, and any officer, 
governing board member, employee, or contractor of 
such an entity. 
‘‘(2) LIST REQUIRED.—Each covered entity de-
scribed in paragraph (3)(A) shall submit to the Sec-
retary, and update as necessary, a list of each offi-
cer, governing board member, employee, or con-
tractor participating in the entity’s program funded 
through a grant under this section. 
‘‘(3) COVERED ENTITY DEFINED.—In this sub-
section, the term ‘covered entity’ means an entity 
that— 
‘‘(A) is an eligible entity (as defined in 
subsection (g)(3)) in receipt of a grant under 
this section; and 
‘‘(B)(i) is an officer, governing board mem-
ber, or employee of such an entity or a con-
tractor of such an entity who is a physician or 
other licensed or certified health care practi-
tioner; and 
‘‘(ii) is participating in the entity’s pro-
gram funded through a grant under this sec-
tion, as indicated in a list submitted pursuant 
to paragraph (3). 
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‘‘(4) 
DELAYED
APPLICABILITY.—This 
sub-
section applies beginning with respect to the first 
full fiscal year that begins after the date of the en-
actment of this section. 
‘‘(f) REPORT.— 
‘‘(1) SUBMISSION.—The Secretary shall submit 
to Congress— 
‘‘(A) not later than one year after the date 
of enactment of this section, an interim report 
on the results of the grant program under this 
section; and 
‘‘(B) not later than the end of fiscal year 
2030, a final report of such results. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The reports required by 
paragraph (1) shall each include— 
‘‘(A) the total number of community men-
tal wellness workers participating in the grant 
program under this section; and 
‘‘(B) the total number of community men-
tal wellness workers who obtained certification 
through such participation. 
‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘community mental wellness 
worker’ means an individual trained and certified by 
an eligible entity to assist with providing basic 
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screening and evidence-based treatments to individ-
uals with a mild to moderate mental health or sub-
stance use disorder, including depression, anxiety, 
post-traumatic stress disorder, and alcohol use dis-
order. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘culturally and linguistically 
competent’ means, with respect to the provision of 
counseling and interviewing interventions, providing 
such services in a manner that acknowledges, and is 
responsive to, cultural differences that may derive 
from characteristics of the individual receiving such 
services, including— 
‘‘(A) gender; 
‘‘(B) sex; 
‘‘(C) sexual orientation; 
‘‘(D) race or ethnicity; 
‘‘(E) nationality; 
‘‘(F) socioeconomic level; 
‘‘(G) immigration status; 
‘‘(H) disability; 
‘‘(I) Tribal affiliation; and 
‘‘(J) veteran status. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘eligible entity’ means— 
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‘‘(A) a certified community behavioral 
health clinic (as described in section 223(a) of 
the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014); 
‘‘(B) a community mental health center (as 
described in section 1913(c)); 
‘‘(C) a hospital that is described in section 
501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) 
of such Code; and 
‘‘(D) such other community behavioral 
health organizations as the Secretary may 
specify, in consultation with— 
‘‘(i) State authorities responsible for 
regulating substance use and mental health 
providers and facilities receiving reim-
bursement under a State plan under title 
XIX of the Social Security Act (or a waiv-
er of such plan); and 
‘‘(ii) other State substance abuse and 
mental health agencies. 
‘‘(4) The term ‘medically underserved commu-
nity’ has the meaning given such term in section 
799B. 
‘‘(h) FUNDING.— 
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‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this section, $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2026 through 2030. 
‘‘(2) ALLOCATION.—Of the funds authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out this section for a fiscal 
year, not less than 20 percent shall be reserved for 
the provision of training and technical assistance 
under subsection (c).’’. 
Æ 
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