Title: Native Behavioral Health Access Improvement Act of 2019
Policy area: Native Americans

Summary:
Native Behavioral Health Access Improvement Act of 2019
This bill provides funds for and requires the Indian Health Service (IHS) to award grants to Indian health facilities for the prevention and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders. The IHS must establish a technical assistance center for grantees.


[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3126 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3126

     To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a special 
                 behavioral health program for Indians.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 19, 2019

 Ms. Smith (for herself, Mr. Udall, Mr. Tester, Ms. Cortez Masto, and 
  Ms. Warren) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a special 
                 behavioral health program for Indians.

    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 ``Native Behavioral Health Access 
Improvement Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. SPECIAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAM FOR INDIANS.

    Part A of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290aa 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 506B. SPECIAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROGRAM FOR INDIANS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Director of the Indian Health Service, in 
coordination with the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and 
Substance Use, shall award grants for providing services in accordance 
with subsection (b) for the prevention and treatment of mental health 
and substance use disorders.
    ``(b) Services Through Indian Health Facilities.--For purposes of 
subsection (a), services are provided in accordance with this 
subsection if the services are provided through any of the following 
entities:
            ``(1) The Indian Health Service.
            ``(2) An Indian health program operated by an Indian tribe 
        or tribal organization pursuant to a contract, grant, 
        cooperative agreement, or compact with the Indian Health 
        Service pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
        Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.).
            ``(3) An urban Indian health program operated by an urban 
        Indian organization pursuant to a grant or contract with the 
        Indian Health Service pursuant to title V of the Indian Health 
        Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1651 et seq.).
    ``(c) Reports.--Each grantee under this section shall submit 
reports at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
as the Director of the Indian Health Service may require.
    ``(d) Technical Assistance Center.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--The Director of the Indian Health 
        Service, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for 
        Mental Health and Substance Use, shall establish a technical 
        assistance center (directly or by contract or cooperative 
        agreement)--
                    ``(A) to provide technical assistance to grantees 
                under this section; and
                    ``(B) to collect and evaluate information on the 
                program carried out under this section.
            ``(2) Consultation.--The technical assistance center shall 
        consult with grantees under this section for purposes of 
        developing evaluation measures and data submission requirements 
        for purposes of the collection and evaluation of information 
        under paragraph (1)(B).
            ``(3) Data submission.--As a condition on receipt of a 
        grant under this section, an applicant shall agree to submit 
        data consistent with the data submission requirements developed 
        under paragraph (2).
    ``(e) Funding.--
            ``(1) In general.--For the purpose of making grants under 
        this section, there is authorized to be appropriated, and there 
        is appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise 
        appropriated, $150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 
        through 2025.
            ``(2) Technical assistance center.--Of the amount made 
        available to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 
        2021 through 2025, the Director of the Indian Health Service 
        shall allocate a percentage of such amount, to be determined by 
        the Director in consultation with Indian tribes, for the 
        technical assistance center under subsection (d).
    ``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Indian health program.--The term `Indian health 
        program' has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the 
        Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603).
            ``(2) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian tribe' has the 
        meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Health Care 
        Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603).
            ``(3) Tribal organization.--The term `tribal organization' 
        has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian 
        Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
        5304).
            ``(4) Urban indian organization.--The term `urban Indian 
        organization' has the meaning given the term `Urban Indian 
        organization' in section 4 of the Indian Health Care 
        Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603).''.
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