[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9867 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9867

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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2026

 Mr. Neguse (for himself and Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 guidance to 
States on strategies under Medicaid and CHIP to increase education, 
training, recruitment, and retention of mental health and substance use 
disorder care providers that participate in Medicaid or CHIP, 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 the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1315) and authorities under titles XIX and XXI of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 1396 et seq., 1397aa et seq.) for such purposes.
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