Bill > S1056

This bill establishes a home-based telemental health care grant program designed to expand mental health and substance use services for rural and underserved populations, specifically targeting health professional shortage areas and individuals working in farming, fishing, and forestry industries. The bill defines key terms such as "home-based telemental" (mental health services provided remotely while the patient is in their own home) and "telemental health" (using electronic technologies to support remote clinical healthcare). The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Rural Health Liaison of the Department of Agriculture, will award grants to eligible nonprofit or public telemental health providers to deliver remote mental health services. Grant recipients must use funds to provide home-based telemental health services, develop metrics to measure service quality, and support infrastructure like expanding broadband access, providing devices for patients, and offsetting technology costs for healthcare providers. The program is authorized to receive up to $10 million annually from fiscal years 2025 through 2029, with the Secretary required to submit reports to congressional committees every three years assessing the impact and quality of the services. The goal is to improve mental health and substance use care accessibility for populations that traditionally have limited healthcare options.

Health and Social Services

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1056/all-info