119-hr3655

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3655 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3655

 To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish the Substance Use 
 Disorder Treatment and Behavioral and Mental Health Workforce 
 Scholarship Program, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 May 29, 2025

 Ms. Salinas (for herself, Mr. Goldman of New York, Mr. Tonko, and Ms. 
 Brownley) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
 Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
 within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish the Substance Use 
 Disorder Treatment and Behavioral and Mental Health Workforce 
 Scholarship Program, 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 ``STAR Plus Scholarship Act''.

SEC. 2. SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT AND BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL 
 HEALTH WORKFORCE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Part F of title VII of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 295h) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``

SEC. 782. SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT AND BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL 
 HEALTH WORKFORCE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

 ``

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the 
Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (in 
this section referred to as the `Secretary') shall establish the 
Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Behavioral and Mental Health 
Workforce Scholarship Program (in this section referred to as the 
`Scholarship Program') to award scholarships to assure an adequate 
supply of individuals in covered employment.
 ``

    (b) Eligibility; Application; Written Contract.--To be eligible 
to participate in the Scholarship Program, an individual must--
 ``

    (1) be accepted for enrollment, or be enrolled, as a 
 full-time student--
 ``
        (A) in an accredited (as determined by the 
 Secretary) educational institution in a State; and
 ``
        (B) in a course of study or program, offered by 
 such institution and approved by the Secretary, leading 
 to covered employment;
 ``

    (2) submit an application to participate in the 
 Scholarship Program; and
 ``

    (3) sign and submit to the Secretary, at the time of 
 submittal of such application, a written contract (described in 
 subsection

    (f) ) to accept payment of a scholarship and to serve 
 (in accordance with this section) for the applicable period of 
 obligated service in a mental health professional shortage 
 area.
 ``
            (c) Review and Evaluation of Information and Forms by Prospective 
Applicant.--
 ``

    (1) Contents of application and contract forms.--In 
 disseminating application forms and contract forms to 
 individuals desiring to participate in the Scholarship Program, 
 the Secretary shall include with such forms--
 ``
        (A) a fair summary of the rights and liabilities 
 of an individual whose application is approved (and 
 whose contract is accepted) by the Secretary, including 
 in the summary a clear explanation of the damages to 
 which the United States is entitled under subsection

    (j) in the case of the individual's breach of the 
 contract; and
 ``
        (B) such other information as may be necessary 
 for the individual to understand the individual's 
 prospective participation in the Scholarship Program, 
 including a statement of all factors considered in 
 approving applications for participation in the 
 Scholarship Program and in approving specific positions 
 and employers that are eligible for the Scholarship 
 Program.
 ``

    (2) Clarity; availability.--The application form, 
 contract form, and all other information furnished by the 
 Secretary under this section shall be written in a manner 
 calculated to be understood by the average individual applying 
 to participate in the Scholarship Program. The Secretary shall 
 make such application forms, contract forms, and other 
 information available to individuals desiring to participate in 
 the Scholarship Program on a date sufficiently early to ensure 
 that such individuals have adequate time to carefully review 
 and evaluate such forms and information.
 ``

    (3) Education and assistance.--
 ``
        (A) Distribution of informational materials.--The 
 Secretary shall distribute to health professions 
 schools materials providing information on the 
 Scholarship Program and shall encourage the schools to 
 disseminate the materials to the students of the 
 schools.
 ``
        (B) End of obligated service.--
 ``
            (i) Encouragement to continue service.--
 In the case of any health professional whose 
 period of obligated service under the 
 Scholarship Program is nearing completion, the 
 Secretary shall encourage the individual to 
 remain in a mental health professional shortage 
 area and to continue in covered employment.
 ``
            (ii) Assistance in transition.--During 
 the period in which a health professional is 
 planning and making the transition from 
 obligated service under the Scholarship 
 Program, the Secretary may provide assistance 
 to the professional regarding such transition 
 if the professional is remaining in a mental 
 health professional shortage area and is 
 continuing in covered employment.
 ``
            (d) Factors Considered in Providing Contracts; Priorities.--
 ``

    (1) Factors considered in providing contracts.--In 
 providing contracts under the Scholarship Program--
 ``
        (A) the Secretary shall consider the extent of 
 the demonstrated interest of the applicants for the 
 contracts in providing substance use disorder treatment 
 and behavioral and mental health services; and
 ``
        (B) may consider such other factors regarding the 
 applicants as the Secretary determines to be relevant 
 to selecting qualified individuals to participate in 
 such Program.
 ``

    (2) Priorities.--In providing contracts under the 
 Scholarship Program, the Secretary shall give priority--
 ``
        (A) to any application for such a contract 
 submitted by an individual who has characteristics that 
 increase the probability that the individual will 
 continue to serve in a mental health professional 
 shortage area after the period of obligated service 
 pursuant to subsection

    (f) is completed; and
 ``
        (B) to any application for such a contract 
 submitted by an individual who is from a group or 
 population that is underrepresented in the substance 
 use disorder treatment and behavioral and mental health 
 workforce.
 ``

    (e) Commencement of Participation in Scholarship Program; 
Notice.--
 ``

    (1) Commencement of participation.--An individual becomes 
 a participant in the Scholarship Program only upon the 
 Secretary's approval of the individual's application submitted 
 under subsection

    (b)

    (2) and the Secretary's acceptance of the 
 contract submitted by the individual under subsection

    (b)

    (3) .
 ``

    (2) Notice.--The Secretary shall provide written notice 
 to an individual promptly upon the Secretary's approving, under 
 paragraph

    (1) , of the individual's participation in the 
 Scholarship Program.
 ``

    (f) Written Contract; Contents.--The written contract (referred 
to in this section) between the Secretary and an individual shall 
contain--
 ``

    (1) an agreement that--
 ``
        (A) subject to paragraph

    (2) , the Secretary 
 agrees to provide the individual with a scholarship 
 (described in subsection

    (g) ) for a period of one or 
 more school years during which the individual is 
 pursuing a course of study described in subsection

    (b)

    (1)
        (B) ; and
 ``
        (B) subject to paragraph

    (2) , the individual 
 agrees--
 ``
            (i) to accept provision of such a 
 scholarship to the individual;
 ``
            (ii) to maintain enrollment in a course 
 of study described in subsection

    (b)

    (1)
        (B) until the individual completes the course of 
 study;
 ``
            (iii) while enrolled in such course of 
 study, to maintain an acceptable level of 
 academic standing (as determined under 
 regulations of the Secretary by the educational 
 institution offering such course of study); and
 ``
            (iv) to serve for a time period (in this 
 section referred to as the `period of obligated 
 service') equal to one year for each school 
 year for which the individual was provided a 
 scholarship under the Scholarship Program, in 
 covered employment in a mental health 
 professional shortage area (designated under 
 

section 332);
 ``

    (2) a provision that any financial obligation of the 
 United States arising out of a contract entered into under this 
 section and any obligation of the individual which is 
 conditioned thereon, is contingent upon funds being 
 appropriated for scholarships under this section;
 ``

    (3) a statement of the damages to which the United States 
 is entitled, under subsection

    (j) , for the individual's breach 
 of the contract; and
 ``

    (4) such other statements of the rights and liabilities 
 of the Secretary and of the individual, not inconsistent with 
 the provisions of this section.
 ``

    (g) Scholarship Provisions; Contract With Educational 
Institution; Increase in Monthly Stipend.--
 ``

    (1) Scholarship provisions.--A scholarship provided to a 
 student for a school year under a written contract under the 
 Scholarship Program shall consist of payment to, or (in 
 accordance with paragraph

    (2) ) on behalf of, the student of the 
 amount (except as provided in 

section 711) of--
 ``
        (A) the tuition of the student in such school 
 year; and
 ``
        (B) all other reasonable educational expenses, 
 including fees, books, and laboratory expenses, 
 incurred by the student in such school year.
 ``

    (2) Contract with educational institution.--The Secretary 
 may contract with an educational institution, in which a 
 participant in the Scholarship Program is enrolled, for the 
 payment to the educational institution of the amounts of 
 tuition and other reasonable educational expenses described in 
 paragraph

    (1) . Payment to such an educational institution may 
 be made without regard to 

section 3324 of title 31, United 
 States Code.
 ``

    (h) Employment Ceiling of Department Unaffected.--Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, individuals who have entered into written 
contracts with the Secretary under this section, while undergoing 
academic training, shall not be counted against any employment ceiling 
affecting the Department.
 ``
            (i) Obligated Service.--Any individual receiving payments under 
the Scholarship Program as required by an agreement under this section 
shall agree to an annual commitment to work full-time in covered 
employment, with no more than 1 year passing between any 2 years of 
covered employment, in the United States in--
 ``

    (1) a mental health professional shortage area, as 
 designated under 

section 332;
 ``

    (2) a county (or a municipality, if not contained within 
 any county) where the mean drug overdose death rate per 100,000 
 people over the past 3 years for which official data is 
 available from the State, is higher than the most recent 
 available national average overdose death rate per 100,000 
 people, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and 
 Prevention; or
 ``

    (3) any facility, program, center, or clinic as 
 determined appropriate by the Secretary for purposes of this 
 section because of a shortage of mental health professionals, 
 including private practices and other medical facilities 
 designated under 

section 332

    (a) as having such a shortage.
 ``

    (j) Breach.--
 ``

    (1) Liquidated damages formula.--The Secretary may 
 establish a liquidated damages formula to be used in the event 
 of a breach of an agreement entered into under this section.
 ``

    (2) Limitation.--The failure by an individual to complete 
 the full period of service obligated pursuant to such an 
 agreement, taken alone, shall not constitute a breach of the 
 agreement, so long as the individual completed in good faith 
 the years of service for which payments were made to the 
 individual under this section.
 ``

    (k) Fund Regarding Use of Amounts Recovered for Contract Breach 
To Replace Services Lost as Result of Breach.--
 ``

    (1) Establishment of fund.--There is established in the 
 Treasury of the United States a fund to be known as the 
 Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Behavioral and Mental 
 Health Workforce Scholarship Program Replacement Fund (in this 
 subsection referred to as the `Fund'). The Fund shall consist 
 of such amounts as may be appropriated under paragraph

    (2) to 
 the Fund. Amounts appropriated for the Fund shall remain 
 available until expended.
 ``

    (2) Authorization of appropriations to fund.--For each 
 fiscal year, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund 
 an amount equal to the sum of--
 ``
        (A) the amount collected during the preceding 
 fiscal year by the Federal Government pursuant to the 
 liability of individuals under subsection

    (j) for the 
 breach of contracts entered into under this section; 
 and
 ``
        (B) the aggregate of the amount of interest 
 accruing during the preceding fiscal year on 
 obligations held in the Fund pursuant to paragraph

    (4) and the amount of proceeds from the sale or redemption 
 of such obligations during such fiscal year.
 ``

    (3) Use of fund.--
 ``
        (A) Payments to certain health facilities.--
 Amounts in the Fund and available pursuant to 
 appropriations Acts may, subject to subparagraph
        (B) , 
 be expended by the Secretary to make payments to any 
 entity that has a need for a health professional to 
 provide substance use disorder treatment and behavioral 
 and mental health services as a result of the breach by 
 an individual of a contract entered into under this 
 section.
 ``
        (B) Purpose of payments.--An entity receiving 
 payments pursuant to subparagraph
        (A) may expend the 
 payments to recruit and employ a health professional to 
 provide substance use disorder treatment and behavioral 
 and mental health services to patients of the entity, 
 or to enter into a contract with such a professional to 
 provide the services to the patients.
 ``

    (4) Investment.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--The Secretary of the Treasury 
 shall invest such amounts of the Fund as such Secretary 
 determines are not required to meet current withdrawals 
 from the Fund. Such investments may be made only in 
 interest-bearing obligations of the United States. For 
 such purpose, such obligations may be acquired on 
 original issue at the issue price, or by purchase of 
 outstanding obligations at the market price.
 ``
        (B) Sale of obligations.--Any obligation acquired 
 by the Fund may be sold by the Secretary of the 
 Treasury at the market price.
 ``
            (l) Covered Employment Defined.--In this section, the term 
`covered employment' means--
 ``

    (1) full-time employment (including a fellowship) where 
 the primary intent and function of the position is the direct 
 treatment or recovery support of patients with or in recovery 
 from a substance use, behavioral health, or mental health 
 disorder; and
 ``

    (2) may include employment as a physician (with a degree 
 of doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathy), a psychiatric 
 nurse, a social worker, a marriage and family therapist, a 
 mental health counselor, an addiction counselor, an 
 occupational therapist, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a child 
 and adolescent psychiatrist, or a neurologist.
 ``
            (m) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $75,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2026 through 2030.''.

    (b) Exclusion of Scholarship From Gross Income of the Recipient.--

    (1) In general.--

Section 117
            (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue 
 Code of 1986 is amended by striking ``or'' at the end of 
 subparagraph
        (B) , by striking the period at the end of 
 subparagraph
            (C) and inserting ``, or'', and by adding at the 
 end the following new subparagraph:
 ``
            (D) section 782 of the Public Health Service 
 Act.''.

    (2) Effective date.--The amendments made by this section 
 shall apply to taxable years ending after the date of the 
 enactment of this Act.
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