Improving Access to Mental Health Services Act

Bill: 115-s-2533
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN]
Introduced: 2018-03-12
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Government lending and loan guarantees

Health personnel

Home and outpatient care

Mental health

Student aid and college costs
Latest action: action_date: 2018-03-12
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-03-12
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Improving Access to Mental&nbsp;Health Services Act</strong></p> <p>This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to allow National&nbsp;Health Service Corps (NHSC) personnel who are assigned to provide health services in a health professional shortage area to provide services as behavioral and mental health professionals at schools or other community-based settings and&nbsp;at the&nbsp;homes of patients. Services provided pursuant to this bill may count toward completion of obligated service requirements under the NHSC scholarship or loan repayment programs.</p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2533 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 12, 2018 Ms. Smith (for herself and Ms. Murkowski ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to allow National Health Service Corps members to provide obligated service as behavioral and mental health professionals at schools, other community-based settings, or patient homes, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Improving Access to Mental Health Services Act . 2. National Health Service Corps behavioral and mental health professionals providing obligated service in schools, other community-based settings, and patient homes Subpart III of part D of title III of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254 l et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 338N. Behavioral and mental health professionals providing obligated service in schools, other community-based settings, and patient homes (a) Schools and community-Based settings An entity, to which a Corps member is assigned under section 333, may direct such Corps member to provide service as a behavioral and mental health professional at schools or other community-based settings located in health professional shortage areas. (b) Patient homes An entity, to which a Corps member is assigned under section 333, may direct such Corps member to provide service as a behavioral and mental health professional through visiting the home of a patient located in a health professional shortage area. (c) Obligated service Any service described in subsection (a) or (b) that a Corps member provides may count towards such Corps member's completion of any obligated service requirements under the Scholarship Program or the Loan Repayment Program. The Secretary shall not impose any maximum limitation on the number of hours of service described in subsection (a) or (b) that a Corps member may count towards completing such obligated service requirements. (d) Rule of construction The authorization under subsection (a) or (b) shall be notwithstanding any other provision of this subpart or subpart II. .