,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #dfb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #af1      
#bjbc,ms4 ,smith 7for herself1 ,ms4     
,murkowski1 and ,ms4 ,hassan7 introduced
 the following bill2 which was read     
twice and referred to the ,committee on 
,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and        
,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the     
,public ,health ,service ,act to modify 
the loan repayment program for the      
substance use disorder treatment        
workforce to relieve workforce          
shortages4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,mental ,health     
,professionals ,workforce ,shortage     
,loan ,repayment ,act of #bjbc4  #b4    
,loan repayment program for substance   
use disorder treatment workforce        
,section #gha of the ,public ,health    
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bie;h7 is 
amended-- 7#a7 ,in subsection 7a77#b71  
by inserting 1 or the individuals each  
agree to complete a period of service in
 a mental health professional shortage  

area before the period2  7#b7 in        
subsection 7c7-- 7,a7 by redesignating  
paragraphs 7#b7 through 7#e7 as         
paragraphs 7#c7 through 7#f71           
respectively2 and  7,b7 by inserting    
after paragraph 7#a71 the following3    
7#b7 ,any loan used for obtaining a     
degree from an accredited institution of
 higher education for education in      
mental health or a related field leading
 to a master's degree1 leading to a     
doctoral degree1 or consisting of       
post-doctoral study4  2  7#c7 by        
striking subsection 7d7 and inserting   
the following3  7d7 ,requirements of    
service ,any individual receiving       
payments under this program as required 
by an agreement under subsection 7a7    
shall agree-- 7#a7 to an annual         
commitment to full-time employment1 with
 no more than #a year passing between   
any #b years of covered employment1 in  
substance use disorder treatment        
employment in the ,united ,states in--  
7,a7 a ,mental ,health ,professional    

,shortage ,area1 as designated under    
section #ccb2 or  7,b7 a county 7or a   
municipality1 if not contained within   
any county7 where the mean drug overdose
 death rate per #ajj1jjj people over the
 past #c years for which official data  
is available from the ,state1 is higher 
than the most recent available national 
average overdose death rate per #ajj1jjj
 people1 as reported by the ,centers for
 ,disease ,control and ,prevention2 or  
7#b7 to up to #f years of full-time     
employment1 with no more than #a year   
passing between any #b years of covered 
employment1 as a behavioral or mental   
health professional in the ,united      
,states in-- 7,a7 a mental health       
professional shortage area of greatest  
need1 as determined by the ,secretary   
for the purposes of this section1 as    
designated under section #ccb2 or  7,b7 
any facility1 program1 center1 or clinic
 as determined appropriate by the       
,secretary for purposes of this section 
because of a shortage of mental health  

professionals1 including private        
physician practices and other medical   
facilities designated under section     
#ccb7;a7 as having such a shortage4  2  
7#d7 in subsection 7e77#b71 by inserting
 #cch;,b1 #cch;,i1 or #hdf of this ,act1
 section after under section2  7#e7 in  
subsection 7h77#b71 by inserting and    
behavioral and mental health services   
employees after treatment employees2    
7#f7 in subsection 7i7-- 7,a7 by        
redesignating paragraphs 7#a7 through   
7#c7 as paragraphs 7#b7 through 7#d71   
respectively2 and  7,b7 by inserting    
before paragraph 7#b7 7as so            
redesignated71 the following3  7#a7 ,the
 term behavioral and mental health      
professional means health service       
psychologists1 licensed clinical social 
workers1 licensed professional          
counselors1 marriage and family         
therapists1 psychiatric nurse           
specialists1 and psychiatrists4  2 and  
7#g7 in subsection 7j74 by striking     
#be1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years    

#bjai through #bjbc and inserting       
#ej1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years    
#bjbc through #bjcb4