H. R. 34—222 
‘‘(1) increasing the knowledge of mental and substance 
use disorders practitioners on issues related to prevention, 
treatment, and recovery support for individuals who are from 
racial and ethnic minority populations and who have a mental 
or substance use disorder; 
‘‘(2) improving the quality of mental and substance use 
disorder prevention and treatment services delivered to racial 
and ethnic minority populations; and 
‘‘(3) increasing the number of culturally competent mental 
and substance use disorders professionals who teach, admin-
ister services, conduct research, and provide direct mental or 
substance use disorder services to racial and ethnic minority 
populations. 
‘‘(b) TRAINING COVERED.—The fellowships awarded under sub-
section (a) shall be for postbaccalaureate training (including for 
master’s and doctoral degrees) for mental and substance use dis-
order treatment professionals, including in the fields of psychiatry, 
nursing, social work, psychology, marriage and family therapy, 
mental health counseling, and substance use disorder and addiction 
counseling. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry out this sec-
tion, there are authorized to be appropriated $12,669,000 for each 
of fiscal years 2018 through 2022.’’. 
SEC. 9025. LIABILITY PROTECTIONS FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONAL VOL-
UNTEERS AT COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS. 
Section 224 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 233) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(q)(1) For purposes of this section, a health professional volun-
teer at a deemed entity described in subsection (g)(4) shall, in 
providing a health professional service eligible for funding under 
section 330 to an individual, be deemed to be an employee of 
the Public Health Service for a calendar year that begins during 
a fiscal year for which a transfer was made under paragraph 
(4)(C). The preceding sentence is subject to the provisions of this 
subsection. 
‘‘(2) In providing a health service to an individual, a health 
care practitioner shall for purposes of this subsection be considered 
to be a health professional volunteer at an entity described in 
subsection (g)(4) if the following conditions are met: 
‘‘(A) The service is provided to the individual at the facili-
ties of an entity described in subsection (g)(4), or through 
offsite programs or events carried out by the entity. 
‘‘(B) The entity is sponsoring the health care practitioner 
pursuant to paragraph (3)(B). 
‘‘(C) The health care practitioner does not receive any com-
pensation for the service from the individual, the entity 
described in subsection (g)(4), or any third-party payer 
(including reimbursement under any insurance policy or health 
plan, or under any Federal or State health benefits program), 
except that the health care practitioner may receive repayment 
from the entity described in subsection (g)(4) for reasonable 
expenses incurred by the health care practitioner in the provi-
sion of the service to the individual, which may include travel 
expenses to or from the site of services. 
‘‘(D) Before the service is provided, the health care practi-
tioner or the entity described in subsection (g)(4) posts a clear
H. R. 34—223 
and conspicuous notice at the site where the service is provided 
of the extent to which the legal liability of the health care 
practitioner is limited pursuant to this subsection. 
‘‘(E) At the time the service is provided, the health care 
practitioner is licensed or certified in accordance with applicable 
Federal and State laws regarding the provision of the service. 
‘‘(F) At the time the service is provided, the entity described 
in subsection (g)(4) maintains relevant documentation certifying 
that the health care practitioner meets the requirements of 
this subsection. 
‘‘(3) Subsection (g) (other than paragraphs (3) and (5)) and 
subsections (h), (i), and (l) apply to a health care practitioner 
for purposes of this subsection to the same extent and in the 
same manner as such subsections apply to an officer, governing 
board member, employee, or contractor of an entity described in 
subsection (g)(4), subject to paragraph (4), and subject to the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) The first sentence of paragraph (1) applies in lieu 
of the first sentence of subsection (g)(1)(A). 
‘‘(B) With respect to an entity described in subsection (g)(4), 
a health care practitioner is not a health professional volunteer 
at such entity unless the entity sponsors the health care practi-
tioner. For purposes of this subsection, the entity shall be 
considered to be sponsoring the health care practitioner if— 
‘‘(i) with respect to the health care practitioner, the 
entity submits to the Secretary an application meeting 
the requirements of subsection (g)(1)(D); and 
‘‘(ii) the Secretary, pursuant to subsection (g)(1)(E), 
determines that the health care practitioner is deemed 
to be an employee of the Public Health Service. 
‘‘(C) In the case of a health care practitioner who is deter-
mined by the Secretary pursuant to subsection (g)(1)(E) to 
be a health professional volunteer at such entity, this subsection 
applies to the health care practitioner (with respect to services 
performed on behalf of the entity sponsoring the health care 
practitioner pursuant to subparagraph (B)) for any cause of 
action arising from an act or omission of the health care practi-
tioner occurring on or after the date on which the Secretary 
makes such determination. 
‘‘(D) Subsection (g)(1)(F) applies to a health care practi-
tioner for purposes of this subsection only to the extent that, 
in providing health services to an individual, each of the condi-
tions specified in paragraph (2) is met. 
‘‘(4)(A) Amounts in the fund established under subsection (k)(2) 
shall be available for transfer under subparagraph (C) for purposes 
of carrying out this subsection. 
‘‘(B)(i) Not later than May 1 of each fiscal year, the Attorney 
General, in consultation with the Secretary, shall submit to the 
Congress a report providing an estimate of the amount of claims 
(together with related fees and expenses of witnesses) that, by 
reason of the acts or omissions of health professional volunteers, 
will be paid pursuant to this section during the calendar year 
that begins in the following fiscal year. 
‘‘(ii) Subsection (k)(1)(B) applies to the estimate under clause 
(i) regarding health professional volunteers to the same extent 
and in the same manner as such subsection applies to the estimate
H. R. 34—224 
under such subsection regarding officers, governing board members, 
employees, and contractors of entities described in subsection (g)(4). 
‘‘(iii) The report shall include a summary of the data relied 
upon for the estimate in clause (i), including the number of claims 
filed and paid from the previous calendar year. 
‘‘(C) Not later than December 31 of each fiscal year, the Sec-
retary shall transfer from the fund under subsection (k)(2) to the 
appropriate accounts in the Treasury an amount equal to the esti-
mate made under subparagraph (B) for the calendar year beginning 
in such fiscal year, subject to the extent of amounts in the fund. 
‘‘(5)(A) This subsection shall take effect on October 1, 2017, 
except as provided in subparagraph (B) and paragraph (6). 
‘‘(B) Effective on the date of the enactment of this subsection— 
‘‘(i) the Secretary may issue regulations for carrying out 
this subsection, and the Secretary may accept and consider 
applications submitted pursuant to paragraph (3)(B); and 
‘‘(ii) reports under paragraph (4)(B) may be submitted to 
Congress. 
‘‘(6) Beginning on October 1, 2022, this subsection shall cease 
to have any force or effect.’’. 
SEC. 9026. REPORTS. 
(a) WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Health 
Resources and Services Administration, in consultation with 
the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, 
shall conduct a study and publicly post on the appropriate 
Internet website of the Department of Health and Human 
Services a report on the adult and pediatric mental health 
and substance use disorder workforce in order to inform Fed-
eral, State, and local efforts related to workforce enhancement. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The report under this subsection shall con-
tain— 
(A) national and State-level projections of the supply 
and demand of the mental health and substance use dis-
order health workforce, disaggregated by profession; 
(B) an assessment of the mental health and substance 
use disorder workforce capacity, strengths, and weaknesses 
as of the date of the report, including the extent to which 
primary care providers are preventing, screening, or refer-
ring for mental and substance use disorder services; 
(C) information on trends within the mental health 
and substance use disorder provider workforce, including 
the number of individuals expected to enter the mental 
health workforce over the next 5 years; and 
(D) any additional information determined by the 
Administrator of the Health Resources and Services 
Administration, in consultation with the Assistant Sec-
retary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to be relevant 
to the mental health and substance use disorder provider 
workforce. 
(b) PEER-SUPPORT SPECIALIST PROGRAMS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a study on peer-support specialist pro-
grams in up to 10 States that receive funding from the Sub-
stance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
H. R. 34—225 
(2) CONTENTS OF STUDY.—In conducting the study under 
paragraph (1), the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall examine and identify best practices, in the States selected 
pursuant to such paragraph, related to training and credential 
requirements for peer-support specialist programs, such as— 
(A) hours of formal work or volunteer experience 
related to mental and substance use disorders conducted 
through such programs; 
(B) types of peer-support specialist exams required for 
such programs in the selected States; 
(C) codes of ethics used by such programs in the 
selected States; 
(D) required or recommended skill sets for such pro-
grams in the selected States; and 
(E) requirements for continuing education. 
(3) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enact-
ment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on 
the study conducted under paragraph (1). 
Subtitle C—Mental Health on Campus 
Improvement 
SEC. 9031. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERV-
ICES ON CAMPUS. 
Section 520E–2 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
290bb–36b) is amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘AND BEHAVIORAL 
HEALTH’’ and inserting ‘‘HEALTH
AND
SUBSTANCE
USE
DIS-
ORDER’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Services,’’ and inserting ‘‘Services and’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘and behavioral health problems’’ and 
inserting ‘‘health or substance use disorders’’; 
(C) by striking ‘‘substance abuse’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
stance use disorders’’; and 
(D) by adding after, ‘‘suicide attempts,’’ the following: 
‘‘prevent mental and substance use disorders, reduce 
stigma, and improve the identification and treatment for 
students at risk,’’; 
(3) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
‘‘for—’’ and inserting ‘‘for one or more of the following:’’; 
and 
(B) by striking paragraphs (1) through (6) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(1) Educating students, families, faculty, and staff to 
increase awareness of mental and substance use disorders. 
‘‘(2) The operation of hotlines. 
‘‘(3) Preparing informational material. 
‘‘(4) Providing outreach services to notify students about 
available mental and substance use disorder services. 
‘‘(5) Administering voluntary mental and substance use 
disorder screenings and assessments.