Sec. 202. SAMHSA Center for Unhoused Individuals and dedicated grant funding for behavioral health services

1,380 words·~6 min read·/bill/119/s/3464/is/section-202

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Part B of title V of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 290bb et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: There is established in the Administration a Center for Unhoused Individuals (referred to in this section as the Center ) to lead Federal efforts to improve and expand access to mental and behavioral health services for unhoused individuals. The Center shall be headed by a director (referred to in this section as the Director ) appointed by the Secretary from among individuals with extensive experience or academic qualifications in the provision of mental and behavioral health services to unhoused individuals.

The Director of the Center shall— develop and promote policies that expand access to mental and behavioral health services for unhoused individuals; develop and promote policies that support housing services for unhoused individuals that have, or likely have, at least one mental and behavioral health condition; facilitate coordination among— Federal, State, and local entities that serve unhoused individuals; and entities that provide mental and behavioral health services; and provide technical assistance to entities receiving a grant under section 520O–1 regarding the use of Federal funds to best support mental and behavioral health services for unhoused individuals.

In carrying out the duties under subsection (b), the Director may make grants to and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with public and nonprofit private entities. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030. The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, shall establish a grant program under which the Secretary will award grants to eligible entities to improve mental and behavioral health and housing services for unhoused individuals, including through— the expansion and improvement of mental and behavioral health services for unhoused individuals; and the expansion and improvement of housing services for individuals experiencing, or likely experiencing, mental and behavioral health conditions.

An entity is eligible to receive a grant under this section if such entity is— a State (as defined in section 534); a municipality or other unit of local government; or an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act). An entity may use funds received through a grant under this section to increase access to mental and behavioral health services for unhoused individuals, including through— expanding access to evidence-based substance use disorder treatment and recovery activities and services for unhoused individuals; increasing access to medication-assisted treatment for unhoused individuals who are also experiencing opioid use disorder; implementing and expanding harm reduction strategies and services through programs that serve unhoused individuals; reducing opioid and synthetic opioid or fentanyl overdose deaths among unhoused individuals; implementing and expanding evidence-based substance use disorder prevention strategies among unhoused individuals; expanding and increasing care coordination for unhoused individuals experiencing a mental and behavioral health condition; expanding access to and increasing the number of health care professionals who treat unhoused individuals experiencing at least one mental and behavioral health condition; establishing and expanding housing programs targeting unhoused individuals experiencing mental and behavioral health conditions; expanding access to mental and behavioral health diagnostic services for unhoused individuals; supporting and expanding the mental and behavioral health care workforce that treats unhoused individuals; and supporting and expanding evidence-based mental health training for non-health care professionals that interface frequently with unhoused individuals, such as law enforcement personnel and first responders.

Of the amount made available to carry out this section for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall distribute a portion of such amount to eligible entities selected to receive a grant under this section on the basis of a formula developed by the Secretary. The formula developed by the Secretary under paragraph

(1)shall prioritize eligible entities located in regions that— experience high rates of homelessness and housing instability; and experience above-average housing costs. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030. All laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors in the performance of construction, alteration, or repair work on a project assisted in whole or in part by funding made available under this subpart shall be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on similar projects in the locality, as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Davis-Bacon Act ). With respect to the labor standards specified in this subsection, the Secretary of Labor shall have the authority and functions set forth in Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 (64 Stat. 1267; 5 U.S.C. App.) and section 3145 of title 40, United States Code. The following requirements apply with respect to the construction, alteration, or repair of any housing unit using amounts provided to an entity under this subpart (referred to in this subsection as an eligible recipient ): Each eligible recipient shall ensure that not less than 15 percent of the total labor hours of the construction, alteration, or repair work (including such work performed by any contractor or subcontractor of the recipient) with respect to such unit shall, subject to paragraph (2), be performed by qualified apprentices. The requirement under paragraph

(1)shall be subject to any applicable requirements for apprentice-to-journeyworker ratios of the Secretary of Labor or the applicable State apprenticeship agency. Each eligible recipient, or contractor or subcontractor of the eligible recipient, who employs 4 or more individuals to perform construction, alteration, or repair work with respect to such housing unit shall employ 1 or more qualified apprentices to perform such work. An eligible recipient shall not be treated as failing to satisfy the requirements of this subsection with respect to a housing unit if— such eligible recipient satisfies the requirements described in subparagraph

(B)with respect to such housing unit; or with respect to an eligible recipient who is not described in clause

(i)and does not satisfy the requirements of paragraph

(1)with respect to such housing unit, such eligible recipient pays a penalty to the Secretary of Labor in an amount equal to the product of— $50; multiplied by the total labor hours for which the requirement described in paragraph

(1)was not satisfied with respect to the construction, alteration, or repair work on such housing unit. For purposes of subparagraph (A), an eligible recipient shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements under this subsection with respect to a housing unit if such eligible recipient has requested qualified apprentices from a registered apprenticeship program, and— such request has been denied, as long as such denial is not the result of a refusal by the eligible recipient or any contractors or subcontractors engaged in the performance of construction, alteration, or repair work with respect to such housing unit to comply with the established standards and requirements of the registered apprenticeship program; or the registered apprenticeship program fails to respond to such request within 5 business days after the date on which such registered apprenticeship program received such request. For purposes of this subsection: The term labor hours — means the total number of hours devoted to the performance of construction, alteration, or repair work by any individual employed by the eligible recipient or by any contractor or subcontractor; and excludes any hours worked by— foremen; superintendents; owners; or persons employed in a bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacity (within the meaning of those terms in part 541 of title 29, Code of Federal Regulations). The term qualified apprentice means an individual who— is employed by the eligible recipient or by a contractor or subcontractor of the eligible recipient; and is participating in a registered apprenticeship program. The term registered apprenticeship program means an apprenticeship program registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as the National Apprenticeship Act ; 50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq. ). In this subpart: The term mental and behavioral health means the health of an individual as it pertains to mental illness, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and substance use disorders. The term unhoused individual has the meaning given the term homeless individual in section 103(a) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 11302 ). .

Connectionstraces to 4

Traces to 4 documents

U.S. Code

public-private-law