Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act of 2018
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to create a loan repayment program for individuals who complete a period of service in a substance use disorder treatment job in a mental health professional shortage area or a county where the drug overdose death rate is higher than the national average.
The substance use disorder treatment job must be a full-time position where the primary intent and function is the direct care of patients with or in recovery from a substance use disorder.
Individuals must enter into an agreement of service of up to six years with the Health Resources and Services Administration. The repayment program shall pay one-sixth of the principal and interest on any eligible loan for each year of service; the maximum total amount of repayment by the program is $250,000 per individual.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5102 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5102
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment
program for substance use disorder treatment employees, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 27, 2018
Ms. Clark of Massachusetts (for herself, Mr. Rogers of Kentucky, Mr.
Sarbanes, and Mr. Guthrie) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment
program for substance use disorder treatment employees, 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 ``Substance Use Disorder Workforce
Loan Repayment Act of 2018''.
SEC. 2. LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT
EMPLOYEES.
Title VII of the Public Health Service Act is amended--
(1) by redesignating part F as part G; and
(2) by inserting after part E (42 U.S.C. 294n et seq.) the
following:
``PART F--SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT EMPLOYEES
``SEC. 781. LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM FOR SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT
EMPLOYEES.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Administrator
of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall carry out a
program under which--
``(1) the Secretary enters into agreements with individuals
to make payments in accordance with subsection (b) on the
principal of and interest on any eligible loan; and
``(2) the individuals each agree to complete a period of
service in a substance use disorder treatment job, as described
in subsection (d).
``(b) Payments.--For each year of obligated service by an
individual pursuant to an agreement under subsection (a), the Secretary
shall make a payment to such individual as follows:
``(1) Service in a shortage area.--The Secretary shall
pay--
``(A) for each year of obligated service by an
individual pursuant to an agreement under subsection
(a), \1/6\ of the principal of and interest on each
eligible loan of the individual which is outstanding on
the date the individual began service pursuant to the
agreement; and
``(B) for completion of the sixth and final year of
such service, the remainder of such principal and
interest.
``(2) Maximum amount.--The total amount of payments under
this section to any individual shall not exceed $250,000.
``(c) Eligible Loans.--The loans eligible for repayment under this
section are each of the following:
``(1) Any loan for education or training for a substance
use disorder treatment job.
``(2) Any loan under part E of title VIII (relating to
nursing student loans).
``(3) Any Federal Direct Stafford Loan, Federal Direct PLUS
Loan, or Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, or Federal
Direct Consolidation Loan (as such terms are used in section
455 of the Higher Education Act of 1965).
``(4) Any Federal Perkins Loan under part E of title I of
the Higher Education Act of 1965.
``(5) Any other Federal loan as determined appropriate by
the Secretary.
``(d) Period of Service.--The period of service required by an
agreement under subsection (a) shall consist of up to 6 years of full-
time employment, with no more than one year passing between any two
years of covered employment, in a substance use disorder treatment job
in the United States in--
``(1) a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area, as
designated under section 332; or
``(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.
``(e) Ineligibility for Double Benefits.--No borrower may, for the
same service, receive a reduction of loan obligations or a loan
repayment under both--
``(1) this subsection; and
``(2) any Federally supported loan forgiveness program,
including under section 338B, 338I, or 846 of this Act, or
section 428J, 428 L, 455(m), or 460 of the Higher Education Act
of 1965.
``(f) 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 subsection (a).
``(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.
``(g) Additional Criteria.--The Secretary--
``(1) may establish such criteria and rules to carry out
this section as the Secretary determines are needed and in
addition to the criteria and rules specified in this section;
and
``(2) shall give notice to the committees specified in
subsection (h) of any criteria and rules so established.
``(h) Report to Congress.--Not later than 5 years after the date of
enactment of the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act of
2018, and every other year thereafter, the Secretary shall prepare and
submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate a report on--
``(1) the number and location of borrowers who have
qualified for loan repayments under this section; and
``(2) the impact of this section on the availability of
substance use disorder treatment employees nationally and in
shortage areas and counties described in subsection (d).
``(i) Definition.--In this section:
``(1) The term `municipality' means a city, town, or other
public body created by or pursuant to State law, or an Indian
Tribe.
``(2) The term `substance use disorder treatment job' means
a full-time job (including a fellowship)--
``(A) where the primary intent and function of the
job is the direct treatment or recovery support of
patients with or in recovery from a substance use
disorder, such as a physician, physician assistant,
registered nurse, nurse practitioner, advanced practice
registered nurse, social worker, recovery coach, mental
health counselor, addictions counselor, psychologist or
other behavioral health professional, or any other
relevant professional as determine by the Secretary;
and
``(B) which is located at a substance use disorder
treatment program, private physician practice, hospital
or health system-affiliated inpatient treatment center
or outpatient clinic (including an academic medical
center-affiliated treatment program), correctional
facility or program, youth detention center or program,
inpatient psychiatric facility, crisis stabilization
unit, community health center, community mental health
or other specialty community behavioral health center,
recovery center, school, community-based organization,
telehealth platform, migrant health center, health
program or facility operated by a tribe or tribal
organization, Federal medical facility, or any other
facility as determined appropriate for purposes of this
section by the Secretary.
``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2019 through 2028.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Unanimous Consent .
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
Mr. Walden moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5045-5047)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 5102.
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H5045-5046)
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On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5045-5046)
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.