,i  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gghg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #d1 #bjbf,mr4 
,carter of ,louisiana 7for himself1 ,mr4
 ,turner of ,ohio1 ,mr4 ,mc,cormick1 and
 ,ms4 ,clarke of ,new ,york7 introduced 
the following bill2 which was referred  
to the ,committee on ,energy and        
,commerce  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title   
,,vii of the ,public ,health ,service   
,act to strengthen the mental health    
workforce1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,strengthening the mental health        
workforce  7a7 ,in general ,part ,b of  
title ,,vii of the ,public ,health      
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bic et    
seq47 is amended by adding at the end   
the following3  #gdb4 ,strengthening the
 mental health workforce  7a7 ,in       
general ,the ,secretary shall establish 
and carry out a mental health provider  
loan deferment and forgiveness program  
under which an eligible individual      
agrees to be employed full-time as a    
qualified mental health provider for a  

period of at least #e years 7beginning  
on the date on which the individual is  
first licensed to practice as a         
qualified mental health provider7-- 7#a7
 as a solo provider within an area that 
has been designated as having a shortage
 of mental health professionals under   
section #ccb2 or  7#b7 at an institution
 that serves patients who are located in
 an area that has been designated as    
having a shortage of mental health      
professionals under section #ccb4  7b7  
,program administration ,through the    
program established under this section1 
the ,secretary shall enter into         
contracts with eligible individuals     
under which-- 7#a7 such eligible        
individuals will agree to provide mental
 and behavioral health care services as 
described in subsection 7a72  7#b7 the  
,secretary agrees that periodic         
installments of the principal of an     
eligible loan need not be paid1 but     
interest shall accrue and be paid1      
during any period during which the      

borrower is employed as described in    
subsection 7a72 and  7#c7 the           
,secretary1 through the holder of the   
loan1 will assume the obligation to     
repay the lesser of #ajj percent or     
#bjj1jjj of the total amount of         
principal and interest of an eligible   
loan1 that are outstanding as of the day
 immediately preceding the first day of 
the first year of service 7as described 
in subsection 7a771 for an eligible     
individual1 who-- 7,a7 has been employed
 as described in subsection 7a7 for #e  
consecutive years2 and  7,b7 is not in  
default on a loan for which the         
individual seeks forgiveness4  7c7      
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the
 term eligible individual means an      
individual who-- 7,a7 7i7 has been      
accepted for enrollment1 or is enrolled1
 as a student in a minority-serving     
institution eligible to receive funding 
under section #cga of the ,higher       
,education ,act of #aife in a course of 
study or program leading to a mental or 

behavioral health professions degree or 
certificate2 or  7ii7 is completing     
training hours under clinical           
supervision for purposes of obtaining   
such a degree or certificate2 and  7,b7 
has accepted employment as a qualified  
mental health provider as described in  
subsection 7a71 to commence upon        
graduation4  7#b7 ,the term eligible    
loan means-- 7,a7 any loan for education
 or training for mental and behavioral  
health care employment1 including       
education or training relating to       
substance use prevention and treatment2 
7,b7 any ,federal ,direct ,stafford     
,loan1 ,federal ,direct ,,plus ,loan1   
,federal ,direct ,unsubsidized ,stafford
 ,loan1 or ,federal ,direct             
,consolidation ,loan 7as such terms are 
used in section #dee of the ,higher     
,education ,act of #aife72  7,c7 any    
,federal ,perkins ,loan under part ,e of
 title ,i of the ,higher ,education ,act
 of #aife2 and  7,d7 any other ,federal 
loan as determined appropriate by the   

,secretary4  7#c7 ,the term qualified   
mental health provider means a provider 
of mental and behavioral health care    
services1 including substance use       
prevention and treatment services1 that 
is one of the following3 7,a7 ,a        
physician 7as defined in section        
#ahfa7r7 of the ,social ,security ,act7 
whose specialty is psychiatry4  7,b7 ,a 
health service psychologist4  7,c7 ,a   
psychiatric nurse specialist 7as defined
 in appendix ,c to part #e of subchapter
 ,a of chapter #a of title #db1 ,code of
 ,federal ,regulations 7or successor    
regulations774  7,d7 ,a marriage and    
family therapist 7as defined in section 
#ahfa7lll77#b7 of the ,social ,security 
,act74  7,e7 ,a physician assistant1    
nurse practitioner1 or clinical nurse   
specialist 7as defined in section       
#ahfa7;aa77#e7 of the ,social ,security 
,act7 whose specialty is mental health  
or psychiatry4  7,f7 ,a clinical social 
worker 7as defined in section           
#ahfa7;hh77#a7 of the ,social ,security 

,act74  7,g7 ,a clinical psychologist   
7as defined by the ,secretary for       
purposes of section #ahfa7;ii7 of the   
,social ,security ,act74  7,h7 ,a mental
 health counselor 7as defined in section
 #ahfa7lll77#d7 of the ,social ,security
 ,act74  4