Virtual Peer Support Act of 2021
Bill: S.157 | Sponsor: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine (D-NV)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Virtual Peer Support Act of 2021
This bill appropriates funding for grants to transition behavioral health peer support services that are provided at no cost to participants from in-person to virtual platforms or to otherwise expand these kinds of virtual services.
Specifically, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must award competitive grants to certain consumer-controlled or consumer-run organizations and tribal communities. Among other eligibility requirements for these grants, entities must have offered certain behavioral health services at no cost to participants before the declaration of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.

To provide funding for the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and 
  Substance Use to award grants for the purpose of supporting virtual 
    peer behavioral health support services, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Virtual Peer Support Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. VIRTUAL PLATFORMS FOR IN-PERSON PEER BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SUPPORT 
              SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services 
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary''), acting through the 
Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, shall award 
grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to--
            (1) transition in-person peer behavioral health support 
        services to virtual platforms; or
            (2) expand and improve virtual peer behavioral health 
        support services.
    (b) Application and Selection Process.--
            (1) Applications.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under 
        this section shall, as a condition for receiving such grant, 
        submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such 
        manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
        reasonably require.
            (2) Selection.--
                    (A) Reservations.--
                            (i) In general.--The Secretary shall 
                        reserve not less than 50 percent of the amount 
                        appropriated under subsection (f) for awarding 
                        grants under this section to eligible entities 
                        that are--
                                    (I) community-based providers; or
                                    (II) Tribal communities in 
                                accordance with clause (ii).
                            (ii) Tribal governments.--
                                    (I) In general.--Subject to 
                                subclause (II), of the amount reserved 
                                under clause (i), not less than 8 
                                percent shall be reserved for grants 
                                under this section to Tribal 
                                communities.
                                    (II) Remaining amounts.--In the 
                                case that there are remaining funds 
                                after the reservation under subclause 
                                (I) due to an insufficient number of 
                                Tribal communities that apply for a 
                                grant under this section, any such 
                                remaining funds shall be used towards 
                                grants to community-based providers 
                                that serve Tribal communities.
                    (B) Maximum geographic representation.--Subject to 
                subparagraph (A) and the eligible entities that submit 
                applications under paragraph (1), in selecting eligible 
                entities to receive grants under this section, the 
                Secretary shall, to the maximum extent possible, ensure 
                that the residents of all States and Tribal communities 
                are served by at least 1 grant under this section.
    (c) Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--An eligible entity receiving a grant under 
        this section may use the funds awarded through such grant to--
                    (A) carry out workforce development, recruitment, 
                and retention activities, to train, recruit, and retain 
                certified peer-support specialists;
                    (B) transition a network of in-person, peer-
                facilitated behavioral health support services to a 
                virtual platform for such behavioral health support 
                services;
                    (C) expand or improve virtual, peer behavioral 
                health support services carried out by the entity prior 
                to the date of enactment of this section;
                    (D) adopt technologies to transition in-person peer 
                behavioral health support services to virtual peer 
                behavioral health support services, including by 
                acquiring--
                            (i) appropriate physical hardware for such 
                        virtual services;
                            (ii) software and programs to efficiently 
                        run peer support services virtually; and
                            (iii) other technology for establishing 
                        virtual waiting rooms and virtual video 
                        platforms for meetings;
                    (E)(i) provide multilingual virtual peer behavioral 
                health support services as needed within the community; 
                and
                    (ii) provide language access services, including 
                translation and interpretation services, with respect 
                to virtual peer behavioral health support services to 
                allow individuals with limited-English proficiency and 
                individuals with disabilities to access such services;
                    (F) provide targeted virtual peer behavioral health 
                support services to demographics such as--
                            (i) those heavily impacted by the COVID-19 
                        response such as clinicians, emergency service 
                        workers, nurses, and physicians; and
                            (ii) populations such as those who are high 
                        risk or potentially face barriers to care due 
                        to the pandemic, including veterans, rural 
                        communities, seniors, youth, young adults, 
                        parents, and caregivers;
                    (G) provide 1-on-1 peer support services when 
                feasible to provide additional support to individuals;
                    (H) increase awareness of peer support resources in 
                the community by conducting outreach and education 
                including through webinars and podcasts;
                    (I) provide funding for certification and salaries 
                for certified peer-support specialists;
                    (J) conduct research to demonstrate the efficacy of 
                virtual peer support; and
                    (K) provide funding for the staffing and 
                administrative needs of the eligible entity to carry 
                out virtual peer behavioral health support services for 
                not less than 1 year.
            (2) Requirements for support services.--A behavioral health 
        support service supported under this section shall--
                    (A) be provided by a certified peer-support 
                specialist;
                    (B) be provided at no cost to the recipients of 
                such service;
                    (C) incorporate promising or evidence-based 
                practices for providing peer behavioral health support 
                to recipients; and
                    (D) comply with the requirements for 
                nondiscrimination under paragraph (3).
            (3) Nondiscrimination.--No individual in the United States 
        shall, on the basis of the actual or perceived race, color, 
        national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender 
        identity), age, language proficiency, or disability of the 
        individual be excluded from participation in, denied the 
        benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under 
        any program or activity receiving any funding made available 
        under subsection (f).
    (d) Grant Amount.--
            (1) In general.--Except for a grant described in subsection 
        (b)(2)(A), each grant awarded under this section shall be in an 
        amount of not less than $1,000,000.
            (2) Community-based providers and tribal communities.--The 
        Secretary shall determine an appropriate amount for each grant 
        awarded under subsection (b)(2)(A) to a community-based 
        provider or Tribal community.
    (e) Report to Congress.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to 
        the Committees described in paragraph (2) that includes an 
        analysis of the outcomes of the grants awarded under this 
        section, such as outcomes measured by the level of 
        participation in peer support services receiving funds under 
        subsection (f), the development of a peer support-specialist 
        workforce, any barriers and challenges in developing 
        recommendations to assist individuals in need of peer 
        behavioral health support services, and any other measure 
        determined appropriate by the Secretary.
            (2) Committees.--The Committees described in this paragraph 
        are each of the following:
                    (A) The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                Pensions of the Senate.
                    (B) The Committee on Finance of the Senate.
                    (C) The Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
                House of Representatives.
                    (D) The Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
                Representatives.
    (f) Funding.--There is appropriated, out of amounts in the Treasury 
not otherwise appropriated, to remain available until expended, 
$50,000,000 to carry out this section.
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Certified peer-support specialist.--The term 
        ``certified peer-support specialist'' means an individual who--
                    (A) is a self-identified current or former 
                recipient of behavioral health services who has the 
                ability to support other individuals diagnosed with a 
                mental illness or substance use disorder; and
                    (B)(i) is certified in accordance with applicable 
                State law to provide peer support services in 
                behavioral health settings; or
                    (ii) is certified as qualified to furnish peer 
                support services under a certification process 
                consistent with the National Practice Guidelines for 
                Peer Supporters and inclusive of the core competencies 
                identified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
                Services Administration in the Core Competencies for 
                Peer Workers in Behavioral Health Services.
            (2) Community-based provider.--The term ``community-based 
        provider'' means an eligible entity that is a consumer-
        controlled or consumer-run organization and is certified in 
        accordance with applicable State law to deliver peer support 
        services at a State or local level, and not at the national 
        level.
            (3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        consumer-controlled or consumer-run organization, or a Tribal 
        community, that--
                    (A) facilitates evidence-informed peer behavioral 
                health support services;
                    (B) offers certified peer-support training;
                    (C) prior to the public health emergency declared 
                by the Secretary under section 319 of the Public Health 
                Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) on January 31, 2020, with 
                respect to COVID-19, operated a network of in-person or 
                virtual peer-facilitated behavioral health support 
                services or group meetings at no cost to the 
                participants; and
                    (D) has the capability to, or is able to show how 
                it will have the capability to, launch and support a 
                virtual platform for peer behavioral health support 
                services.
            (4) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 2 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
        201).
            (5) Tribal community.--The term ``Tribal community'' means 
        an Indian tribe, tribal organization, or urban Indian 
        organization, as such terms are defined in section 4 of the 
        Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603).
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