Expand the Behavioral Health Workforce Now Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3486 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3486

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance 
  to States on strategies under Medicaid and CHIP to increase mental 
 health and substance use disorder care provider education, training, 
                      recruitment, and retention.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 16, 2025

Mr. Daines (for himself and Mr. Peters) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

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                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance 
  to States on strategies under Medicaid and CHIP to increase mental 
 health and substance use disorder care provider education, training, 
                      recruitment, and retention.

    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 ``Expand the Behavioral Health 
Workforce Now Act''.

SEC. 2. GUIDANCE TO STATES ON STRATEGIES UNDER MEDICAID AND CHIP TO 
              INCREASE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER CARE 
              PROVIDER EDUCATION, TRAINING, RECRUITMENT, AND RETENTION.

    Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall issue non-mandatory 
guidance to States on strategies under the Medicaid program under title 
XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) and the 
Children's Health Insurance Program under title XXI of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.) to increase education, training, recruitment, 
and retention of mental health and substance use disorder care 
providers that participate in such programs, with a focus on improving 
the capacity of the mental health and substance use disorder care 
workforce in rural and underserved areas. Such guidance shall include, 
and not be limited to, strategies on how States may utilize waivers 
under section 1115 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1315) and authorities under 
such titles XIX and XXI for such purposes.
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