[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9796 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9796
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development to jointly award grants for the
purposes of improving access to, developing, or expanding services that
provide an individual with transportation to or from substance use
disorder treatment or supportive services.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 25, 2024
Ms. Bonamici (for herself, Mr. Bacon, and Mr. Valadao) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, 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 direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development to jointly award grants for the
purposes of improving access to, developing, or expanding services that
provide an individual with transportation to or from substance use
disorder treatment or supportive services.
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 ``Connections to Health Infrastructure
and Emergency Recovery Services Act of 2024'' or the ``CHIERS Act of
2024''.
SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR TRANSPORTATION TO SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER TREATMENT
OR SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
(a) In General.--Beginning not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall jointly award grants to
eligible entities for the purposes of improving access to, developing,
or expanding services that provide a covered individual with
transportation, including first and last mile transportation, to or
from substance use disorder treatment or supportive services at no cost
to such individual.
(b) Use of Funds.--
(1) In general.--A grant awarded under this section may be
used for the following purposes:
(A) To provide the transportation services
described in subsection (a) on a prescheduled or on-
demand basis.
(B) To acquire a motor vehicle for the
transportation services described in subsection (a).
(C) To assist personnel who provide the
transportation services described in subsection (a) in
obtaining any license that may be required to provide
such services.
(D) To provide training and professional
development for personnel who provide the
transportation services described in subsection (a).
(E) To raise awareness about the transportation
services described in subsection (a), including through
expanding street outreach activities.
(F) For ridesharing or taxi services that provide
the transportation services described in subsection (a)
on an on-demand basis.
(G) For such other activities as the Secretaries
determine appropriate.
(2) Exclusions.--A grant awarded under this section may not
be used--
(A) for transporting an individual to receive
involuntary treatment; or
(B) by law enforcement personnel.
(c) Application.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under this
section shall submit to the Secretaries an application including--
(1) a description of the activities the eligible entity
plans to carry out using grant funds under this section;
(2) the identity of each entity that the eligible entity
plans to partner with to conduct such activities, including the
activities the identified entity plans to carry out using grant
funds under this section; and
(3) performance measures the eligible entity intends to use
to measure the effectiveness of the activities carried out
using grant funds under this section in reducing cancelled or
missed appointments.
(d) Duration.--A grant awarded under this section shall be for a
period of not less than 1 year.
(e) Supplement Not Supplant.--A recipient of a grant under this
section shall use the grant to supplement, not supplant, the level of
State or local funds that would be made available for the activities
funded under this section in the absence of the receipt of a grant
under this section.
(f) Report.--Not later than 1 year after receiving a grant under
this section, a grantee shall submit to the Secretaries a report
including such information as the Secretaries determine necessary to
evaluate the performance of the grantee under the grant.
(g) Technical Assistance.--The Secretaries--
(1) shall jointly provide technical assistance, publish
best practices, and conduct outreach to grantees and eligible
entities under this section; and
(2) to the extent amounts are made available in advance in
appropriation Acts, may make available not more than 2 percent
of the funds made available pursuant to this section for the
purposes of paragraph (1).
(h) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered individual.--The term ``covered individual''
means an individual with a substance use disorder who--
(A) is experiencing homelessness;
(B) resides in a low-income community, as such term
is defined in section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986; or
(C) resides in a community in which transportation
poses a barrier to health care access, as determined by
the Secretaries.
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a nonprofit organization that has experience in
providing--
(i) substance use disorder treatment;
(ii) services to individuals experiencing
homelessness; or
(iii) services to a population that
experiences disparities in health status and
health care access;
(B) a State or county governmental entity, or any
other local or regional governmental entity, including
a public health agency;
(C) an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization, as such
terms are defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C.
5304);
(D) a continuum of care established and operating
for a geographic area for purposes of the Continuum of
Care Program under subtitle C of title IV of the
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11381
et seq.);
(E) a Federally qualified health center, as such
term is defined in section 1861(aa) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa));
(F) a comprehensive opioid recovery center funded
by a grant under section 552 of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290ee-7);
(G) an entity conducting street outreach funded by
a grant under the emergency solutions grants program
authorized under subtitle B of title IV of the
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11371
et seq.);
(H) a consortium of 2 or more entities described in
this paragraph; and
(I) such other entities as the Secretaries
determine appropriate.
(3) First and last mile transportation.--The term ``first
and last mile transportation'' means, for purposes of the
travel of a covered individual to and from substance use
disorder treatment or supportive services, the provision of
such transportation services as may be necessary to ensure that
the individual has transportation for the entire route to be
traveled, including transportation to and from a source of
public transit.
(4) Law enforcement personnel.--The term ``law enforcement
personnel'' has the meaning given such term in section 884(g)
of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 464(g)).
(5) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit
organization'' means an organization that is described in
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and
exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.
(6) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means--
(A) the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental
Health and Substance Use; and
(B) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development,
acting through the Director of the Office of Special
Needs Assistance Programs.
(7) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth,
territory, or possession of the United States.
(8) Substance use disorder.--The term ``substance use
disorder'' has the meaning given such term in section 1934 of
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300x-34).
(9) Substance use disorder treatment.--The term ``substance
use disorder treatment''--
(A) has the meaning given such term in section 702
of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Reauthorization Act of 1998 (21 U.S.C. 1701); and
(B) includes--
(i) an overdose prevention program; and
(ii) detoxification services.
(10) Supportive services.--The term ``supportive services''
has the meaning given such term in section 401 of the McKinney-
Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11360).
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