LINC to Address Social Needs Act of 2021
Bill: S.509 | Sponsor: Sen. Sullivan, Dan (R-AK)
Policy area: Social Welfare

Summary:
Leveraging Integrated Networks in Communities to Address Social Needs Act of 2021 or the LINC to Address Social Needs Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to better integrate health care and social services using technology platforms and related infrastructure.
To receive a grant, a state or territory must enter into a partnership with nonprofits and similar organizations or tribal nations. These public-private partnerships must foster the use of technology platforms by providers and payors of health care and social services to improve cross-sector coordination. This includes developing funding models to make the platforms financially self-sufficient.
HHS must consult with stakeholders to develop data standards and guidelines for these grants, and the Government Accountability Office must evaluate the impact of the grants.

To establish a program to assist States in establishing or enhancing 
  community integration network infrastructure for health and social 
                               services.

    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 ``Leveraging Integrated Networks in 
Communities to Address Social Needs Act of 2021'' or the ``LINC to 
Address Social Needs Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. PROGRAM TO SUPPORT ESTABLISHMENT OR ENHANCEMENT OF STATE 
              COMMUNITY INTEGRATION NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE.

    (a) Grant Program.--The Secretary shall award grants on a 
competitive basis to States to support such States, through public-
private partnerships, to establish new or enhance existing community 
integration network infrastructure through authorized activities under 
subsection (b).
    (b) Authorized Activities.--A State shall use a grant under this 
section to carry out activities and services to establish new or 
enhance existing community integration network infrastructure, on a 
statewide basis through direct network operations or collaborations 
among multiple associated entities, which may include such entities 
that operate regionally. Such activities and services shall include--
            (1) establishing a new or enhancing an existing technology 
        platform that--
                    (A) enables the coordination of public and private 
                providers and payors of services for individuals in the 
                State, including services such as--
                            (i) nutritional assistance;
                            (ii) housing;
                            (iii) health care, including preventive 
                        health intervention, chronic disease 
                        management, and behavioral health care;
                            (iv) transportation;
                            (v) job training;
                            (vi) child development or care;
                            (vii) caregiving and respite care;
                            (viii) disability assistance; and
                            (ix) other services, as determined by the 
                        State;
                    (B) prioritizes connectivity with, incorporation 
                of, and partnership with any appropriate existing 
                technology platforms developed by public or private 
                organizations in the State for the purposes described 
                in subparagraph (A); and
                    (C) ensures that--
                            (i) reasonable measures are taken to 
                        promote connectivity among associated entities; 
                        and
                            (ii) appropriate privacy, security, 
                        protections are in place, in accordance with 
                        applicable Federal and State privacy laws;
            (2) connecting associated entities for purposes of 
        communication, service coordination and consumer assistance, 
        referral and capacity management, outcome tracking, and related 
        services;
            (3) providing technical assistance and supporting 
        associated entities in connecting and participating in the 
        community integration network infrastructure;
            (4) planning for and implementing actions designed to 
        create sustainable funding models to support long-term access 
        to community integration network infrastructure;
            (5) designing and implementing a financial structure to 
        make the community integration network infrastructure 
        financially self-sustaining not later than 3 years after 
        receiving funds under this section; and
            (6) evaluating the use of any funds provided under this 
        section.
    (c) Award of Grants.--
            (1) In general.--A grant under this Act shall be awarded 
        under such terms and conditions as the Secretary shall 
        prescribe, including the guidelines established under paragraph 
        (3).
            (2) Minimizing administrative burden.--The Secretary shall 
        seek to minimize the administrative burden of such terms and 
        conditions and ensure programmatic flexibility for unique State 
        needs.
            (3) Guidelines.--The Secretary shall--
                    (A) consult relevant stakeholders regarding basic 
                functionalities, technical capacities, and data 
                standards needed for community integration network 
                infrastructure; and
                    (B) based on such consultations, establish 
                guidelines for awarding grants under this section, 
                including application requirements.
    (d) Application.--A State desiring a grant under this section 
shall--
            (1) enter into a public-private partnership with one or 
        more--
                    (A) private, nonprofit, or philanthropic 
                organizations; or
                    (B) Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, or urban 
                Indian organizations within the State; and
            (2) submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 
        such manner, and containing or accompanied by such information 
        as the Secretary may require, including--
                    (A) a description of the agency or department in 
                the State government that will coordinate with and 
                oversee the partnership established under paragraph 
                (1);
                    (B) a plan for the establishment or enhancement of 
                a community integration network infrastructure 
                including--
                            (i) the proposed transparent and 
                        competitive process for selecting any new 
                        operational components of the community 
                        integration network infrastructure;
                            (ii) the planned governance structure 
                        (including representation of different types of 
                        associated entities) within the community 
                        integration network infrastructure;
                            (iii) proposed associated entities and 
                        services to be included in the community 
                        integration network infrastructure; and
                            (iv) a plan for accessing and linking 
                        relevant data to create community integration 
                        network infrastructure, including a description 
                        of intended sources of data;
                    (C) assurances that the funds awarded under this 
                section will be used solely carry out authorized 
                activities as described in subsection (b) and other 
                related activities;
                    (D) potential options, including public-private 
                partnerships in addition to the partnership described 
                in paragraph (1), for making the community integration 
                network infrastructure financially self-sustaining not 
                later than 3 years after receiving funds under this 
                section; and
                    (E) a description of the objectives and outcome 
                goals of developing the community integration network 
                infrastructure, including--
                            (i) one or more health outcomes;
                            (ii) one or more other important social 
                        outcomes;
                            (iii) improved access to health care or 
                        social services; and
                            (iv) how progress toward the outcomes 
                        described in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) 
                        will be measured through internal performance 
                        metrics.
    (e) Separate Tribal Infrastructure.--Nothing in this section shall 
preclude Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, or urban Indian 
organizations from establishing a community integration network 
infrastructure that is separate from any other public-private 
partnership receiving funding under this section.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to 
        carry out this section $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2022.
            (2) Administration.--Of the amounts appropriated pursuant 
        to paragraph (1), up to $5,000,000 may be used for 
        administrative expenses.
            (3) Duration of availability.--Amounts appropriated 
        pursuant to paragraph (1) shall remain available until the date 
        that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (g) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Associated entities.--The term ``associated entities'' 
        means any--
                    (A) community-based organization that accepts 
                referrals from health care organizations and that 
                provides services such as--
                            (i) nutritional assistance;
                            (ii) housing;
                            (iii) health care, including preventive 
                        health intervention, chronic disease 
                        management, and behavioral health care;
                            (iv) transportation;
                            (v) job training;
                            (vi) child development or care;
                            (vii) caregiving and respite care; and
                            (viii) disability assistance;
                    (B) public, or nonprofit or for-profit, private 
                health care provider organization;
                    (C) public or private funded payor of health care 
                services, including home- or community-based services;
                    (D) State, local, territorial, or Tribal health and 
                social services agency;
                    (E) State public housing authority or housing 
                finance agency;
                    (F) public health information exchange or public 
                health information network, as defined by the 
                Secretary; or
                    (G) other similar entity, as designated by the 
                State.
            (2) Community integration network infrastructure.--The term 
        ``community integration network infrastructure'' means 
        infrastructure, existing on statewide basis with direct network 
        operations or through collaborations among multiple associated 
        entities, used to enable the coordination, alignment, and 
        connection, of associated entities in a State, including such 
        entities that operate regionally, for purposes of 
        communication, service coordination, and referral management of 
        services, with respect to services such as--
                    (A) nutritional assistance;
                    (B) housing;
                    (C) health care, including preventive health 
                intervention, chronic disease management, and 
                behavioral health care;
                    (D) transportation;
                    (E) job training;
                    (F) child development or care;
                    (G) caregiving and respite care;
                    (H) disability assistance; and
                    (I) other similar services, as designated by the 
                State.
            (3) Indian tribe and tribal organization.--The terms 
        ``Indian Tribe'' and ``Tribal organization'' have the meanings 
        given to the terms `Indian tribe' and `tribal organization' in 
        section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
        Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' refers to the 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services.
            (5) State.--The term ``State'' means a State, territory, or 
        the District of Columbia.
            (6) Urban indian organization.--The term ``urban Indian 
        organization'' has the meaning given to the term in section 4 
        of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603).

SEC. 3. EVALUATION, REPORT, AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

    (a) Evaluation.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct an evaluation that--
            (1) measures the overall impact of the community 
        integration network infrastructure established or enhanced 
        using funds received under section 2, with respect to--
                    (A) changes in individual and population health 
                outcomes;
                    (B) changes in access to health care or social 
                services;
                    (C) the degree of data sharing using the community 
                integration network infrastructure established or 
                enhanced using funds received under section 2;
                    (D) the effectiveness of service coordination;
                    (E) the cost-effectiveness of the provision of 
                services;
                    (F) any results or anticipated results on overall 
                health and social services spending;
                    (G) patient and consumer satisfaction with service 
                coordination process and services received; and
                    (H) any other relevant factors; and
            (2) describes how the funds received under section 2 were 
        used.
    (b) Report and Recommendations.--Not later than 4 years after the 
date the first grant under this Act is awarded, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall--
            (1)(A) submit a report on the evaluation conducted under 
        subsection (a) to Congress; and
            (B) make such report publicly available; and
            (2) based on the evaluation conducted under subsection (a), 
        make recommendations to States and Indian Tribes, Tribal 
        organizations, or urban Indian organizations, on how to improve 
        and sustain community integration network infrastructure 
        established or enhanced using funds received under section 2.
                                 <all>