Sec. 729. Incentive payments for retention of certain behavioral health providers
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/bill/117/hr/7900/rh/section-729A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary of Defense, using authorities available to the Secretary, shall increase the use of incentive payments paid to individuals described in paragraph
(2)for the purpose of retaining such employees. Individuals described in this paragraph are covered civilian behavioral health providers in the following professions: Clinical psychologists. Social workers. Counselors. In increasing the use of incentive payments under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense shall give priority for such an incentive payment to an individual described in paragraph
(2)who is stationed at a remote installation or an installation with a higher-than-average turnover of covered civilian behavioral health providers, as determined by the Secretary. Not later than February 1 of each of calendar years 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes the following: The number of covered civilian behavioral health providers as of the end of the fiscal year preceding the year in which the report is submitted, disaggregated by the professions specified in paragraph
(2)and by whether the covered civilian behavioral health provider is stationed at a remote installation. Of such covered civilian behavioral health providers, the number who, during such preceding fiscal year, received an incentive payment referred to in paragraph (1), disaggregated by the professions specified in paragraph
(2)and by whether the covered civilian behavioral health provider is stationed at a remote installation. With respect to such covered civilian behavioral health providers who so received an incentive payment, the median and mean incentive payment amount so received, disaggregated by the professions specified in paragraph
(2)and by whether the covered civilian behavioral health provider is stationed at a remote installations. For the five fiscal years preceding the year in which the report is submitted, the aggregate amount of incentive payments referred to in paragraph
(1)paid to covered civilian behavioral health providers. A summary of the actions taken by the Secretary to implement the requirements of this section. An assessment of the effectiveness of increasing the use of incentive payments under paragraph
(1)for improved retention of covered civilian behavioral health providers. Any recommendations by the Secretary for additional authorities, or modifications to authorities already available to the Secretary, to further improve the retention of covered civilian behavioral health providers. In this section: The term behavioral health includes clinical psychology, social work, counseling, and related fields. The term civilian behavioral health provider means a behavioral health provider who is a civilian employee of the Department of Defense. The term counselor means an individual who holds— a master’s or doctoral degree from an accredited graduate program in— marriage and family therapy; or clinical mental health counseling; and a current license or certification from a State that grants the individual the authority to provide counseling services as an independent practitioner in the respective field of the individual. The term covered civilian behavioral health provider means a civilian behavioral health provider whose employment by the Secretary of Defense involves the provision of behavioral health services at a military medical treatment facility. The term military installation has the meaning given that term in section 2801 of title 10, United States Code. The term remote installation means a military installation that the Secretary determines to be in a remote location.