I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8680 
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. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2024 
Mr. ESPAILLAT (for himself, Mr. LAWLER, and Mr. THANEDAR) 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. 
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. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, 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.—A community mental wellness 
worker training program implemented pursuant to a grant 
under this section 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, culturally 
and linguistically competent counseling and 
interviewing interventions addressing basic psy-
chosocial or psychotherapeutic treatment needs 
of persons with or at risk for mental and sub-
stance use disorders, including safety planning 
and interventions to reduce suicide risk; and 
(2) covering costs associated with— 
(A) the acquisition and use of digital plat-
forms to provide the screening, training, super-
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vision, 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 AS-
SISTANCE CENTER.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, acting through the Assistant Sec-
retary for Mental Health and Substance Use, may 
provide appropriate training and technical assistance 
to grantees under this section in meeting the re-
quirements of this section, including by— 
(A) consulting with grantees on evidence- 
based employment practices for community 
mental wellness workers, including assistance 
with integrating community wellness workers 
into the workflows of the grantees and other eli-
gible entities; 
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(B) identifying a diverse array of can-
didates for community mental wellness worker 
training; and 
(C) identifying behavioral health providers 
who may benefit from and employ community 
mental wellness workers. 
(2) ADDITIONAL
DISSEMINATION
OF
TECH-
NICAL ASSISTANCE.—The information and resources 
provided by the Secretary of Health and Human Re-
sources under paragraph (1) shall, as appropriate, 
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 (25 U.S.C. 5304)), 
outpatient and inpatient substance use treatment 
providers, other community-based behavioral health 
organizations, and other entities as the Secretary de-
termines appropriate. 
(d) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec-
tion, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
give priority to eligible entities that are— 
(1) in a neighborhood with poverty and unem-
ployment rates that exceed the average in the United 
States; 
(2) in a medically underserved community; 
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(3) in a neighborhood with substance use rates 
that exceed the average in the United States; 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 
(42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) and the Medicaid program 
under title XIX of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et 
seq.) that exceed the average in the United States. 
(e) REPORT.— 
(1) SUBMISSION.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress— 
(A) not later than one year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, an interim report on 
the results of the grant program under this sec-
tion; and 
(B) not later than the end of fiscal year 
2029, a final report of such results. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The reports required by para-
graph (1) shall each include— 
(A) the total number of community mental 
wellness workers participating in the grant pro-
gram under this section; and 
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(B) the total number of community mental 
wellness workers who obtained certification 
through such participation. 
(f) 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 
screening and evidence-based treatments to persons 
with a mild to moderate mental health or substance 
use disorder, including depression, anxiety, post- 
traumatic stress disorder, and alcohol use disorder. 
(2) The term ‘‘culturally and linguistically com-
petent’’ means acknowledging and responsive to cul-
tural differences that might derive from characteris-
tics 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. 
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(3) The term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means— 
(A) a certified community behavioral 
health clinic (as described in section 223(a) of 
the Protecting Access to Medicare Act of 2014 
(42 U.S.C. 1396a note)); 
(B) a community mental health center (as 
described in section 1913(c) of the Public 
Health Services Act (42 U.S.C. 300x–2(c)); 
(C) a hospital that is described in section 
501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
and exempt from tax 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 identified in an ap-
proved State plan or waiver under section 
1115 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1315) or under section 1915 of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1396n); and 
(ii) other State substance abuse and 
mental health agencies. 
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(4) The term ‘‘medically underserved commu-
nity’’ has the meaning given to such term in section 
799B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
295b). 
(g) FUNDING.— 
(1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry out this Act, there are authorized to appro-
priated $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 
through 2029. 
(2) ALLOCATION.—Of the funds authorized to 
be appropriation to carry out this section for a fiscal 
year, $5,000,000 shall be for the provision of train-
ing and technical assistance under subsection (c). 
SEC. 3. MALPRACTICE AND NEGLIGENCE SUITS AGAINST 
COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CLINIC 
AND COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as inconsistent with this 
subsection, the provisions of section 224 of the Public 
Health Service Act, (42 U.S.C. 233), including sub-
sections (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), and (l), shall apply with re-
spect to an entity described in subsection (b) of this sec-
tion, and any officer, governing board member, employee, 
or contractor described in subsection (c) of this section, 
to the same extent and in the same manner as such provi-
sions apply with respect to an entity described in sub-
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section (g)(4) of such section 224, and any officer, gov-
erning board member, employee, or contractor of such an 
entity. 
(b) DESCRIBED ENTITIES.—An entity described in 
this paragraph is an entity that— 
(1) is an eligible entity (as defined in section 
2(f)(3)); and 
(2) is in receipt of a grant under section 2. 
(c) DESCRIBED
OFFICERS, GOVERNING
BOARD 
MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES, AND CONTRACTORS.—An officer, 
governing board member, employee, or contractor is de-
scribed in this subsection if the person— 
(1) is— 
(A) an officer, governing board member, or 
employee of an entity described in subsection 
(b); or 
(B) a contractor of such an entity who is 
a physician or other licensed or certified health 
care practitioner; and 
(2) is participating in the entity’s program 
funded through a grant under section 2, as indicated 
in a list submitted pursuant to subsection (d). 
(d) LIST REQUIRED.—Each entity described in sub-
section (b) shall submit to the Secretary, and update as 
necessary, a list of each officer, governing board member, 
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employee, or contractor participating in the entity’s pro-
gram funded through a grant under section 2. 
(e) PERIOD OF APPLICABILITY.—This subsection ap-
plies with respect to an entity described in subsection (b), 
and any officer, governing board member, employee, or 
contractor described in subsection (c), only with respect 
to acts and omissions occurring during the period of the 
grant referred to in subsection (b)(2). 
(f) DELAYED APPLICABILITY.—This subsection ap-
plies beginning with respect to fiscal year 2025. 
Æ 
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