I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1906 
To provide for the prioritization of projects that provide behavioral and 
mental health treatment services in selecting grantees under certain 
rural development programs, and extend the substance abuse disorder 
set-aside and priority under the programs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 6, 2025 
Ms. BUDZINSKI (for herself, Mr. FINSTAD, Mr. DAVIS of North Carolina, and 
Mr. TAYLOR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To provide for the prioritization of projects that provide 
behavioral and mental health treatment services in select-
ing grantees under certain rural development programs, 
and extend the substance abuse disorder set-aside and 
priority under the programs. 
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 ‘‘Rural Wellness Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS THAT PROVIDE BE-
HAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH TREAT-
MENT SERVICES IN SELECTING GRANTEES 
UNDER CERTAIN RURAL DEVELOPMENT PRO-
GRAMS; EXTENSION OF SUBSTANCE USE DIS-
ORDER SET-ASIDE AND PRIORITY UNDER 
THE PROGRAMS. 
Section 6101(a)(1) of the Agriculture Improvement 
Act of 2018 (132 Stat. 4726) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘2025’’ and inserting ‘‘2029’’; 
(2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘20’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘17’’; 
(3) in subparagraph (B)— 
(A) in clause (ii)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘or (ii)’’ before ‘‘that 
receives’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘or for behavioral 
and mental health treatment, respectively’’ 
before the period; and 
(B) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause 
(iii) and inserting after clause (i) the following: 
‘‘(ii) 
BEHAVIORAL
AND
MENTAL 
HEALTH
TREATMENT
SELECTION
PRI-
ORITY.—In selecting recipients of direct 
loans or grants for the development of es-
sential community facilities under section 
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306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural 
Development 
Act 
(7 
U.S.C. 
1926(a)), the Secretary shall give priority 
to entities eligible for those direct loans or 
grants— 
‘‘(I) to develop facilities to pro-
vide behavioral and mental health 
services such as— 
‘‘(aa) prevention services; 
‘‘(bb) treatment services; 
‘‘(cc) recovery services; or 
‘‘(dd) any combination of 
those services; and 
‘‘(II) that employ staff that have 
appropriate expertise and training in 
how to identify and treat individuals 
with behavioral and mental health 
concerns.’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) RURAL HEALTH AND SAFETY EDU-
CATION PROGRAMS; BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL 
HEALTH
SELECTION
PRIORITY.—In making 
grants under section 502(i) of the Rural Devel-
opment Act of 1972 (7 U.S.C. 2662(i)), the 
Secretary shall give priority to an applicant 
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