HEALS Act

Helping Enable Access to Lifesaving Services Act or the HEALS Act

This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 multiple programs that support education and training for mental and behavioral health care professionals. It also extends until FY2026 liability protections for health care professionals who volunteer their services at community health centers.

Specifically, the bill reauthorizes

• grants for health professional schools and related programs for mental and behavioral health education and training;
• a demonstration program that trains health care professionals to provide mental and behavioral health services in underserved, community-based settings; and
• a fellowship program to provide postbaccalaureate training to improve the quality of mental health and substance use disorder services for racial and ethnic minority populations.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5583 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5583

To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize certain programs 
    to strengthen the health care workforce, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 15, 2021

  Mr. Curtis introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize certain programs 
    to strengthen the health care workforce, 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 ``Helping Enable Access to Lifesaving 
Services Act'' or the ``HEALS Act''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF CERTAIN PROGRAMS TO STRENGTHEN THE HEALTH 
              CARE WORKFORCE.

    (a) Mental and Behavioral Health Education and Training Grants.--
Section 756(f) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294e-1(f)) 
is amended by striking ``For each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023'' 
and inserting ``For each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026''.
    (b) Training Demonstration Program.--Section 760(g) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294k(g)) is amended by striking ``for 
each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022'' and inserting ``for each of 
fiscal years 2022 through 2026''.
    (c) Minority Fellowship Program.--Section 597(c) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290ll(c)) is amended by striking 
``$12,669,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022'' and 
inserting ``$12,669,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 and 2026''.
    (d) Liability Protections for Health Professional Volunteers at 
Community Health Centers.--Section 224(q)(6) of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 233(q)(6)) is amended by striking ``October 1, 
2022'' and inserting ``October 1, 2026''.
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