,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #eacg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #bg1     
#bjbf,mr4 ,king introduced the following
 bill2 which was read twice and referred
 to the ,committee on ,health1          
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of    
,health and ,human ,services1 acting    
through the ,administrator of the       
,health ,resources and ,services        
,administration1 to establish a grant   
program to be known as the ,mental      
,health ,licensure ,portability ,program
 to award grants to eligible entities1  
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,compacts1 ,access1 and ,responsible    
,expansion for ,mental ,health          
,professionals ,act or the ,,care for   
,mental ,health ,professionals ,act4    
#b4 ,mental ,health ,licensure          
,portability ,program  7a7              
,establishment ,not later than #ij days 
after the date of the enactment of this 

,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and     
,human ,services1 acting through the    
,administrator1 shall establish a grant 
program to be known as the ,mental      
,health ,licensure ,portability ,program
 to award grants to eligible entities   
for projects to-- 7#a7 incentivize      
counselors to practice in ,states that  
have entered into interstate compacts   
for the purpose of expanding the        
workforce of credentialed mental health 
professionals2 and  7#b7 develop1       
operate1 or maintain interstate compact 
commissions authorized to effectuate the
 provisions of interstate compacts      
entered into by such ,states4  7b7      
,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7        
,administrator ,the term ,administrator 
means the ,administrator of the ,health 
,resources and ,services                
,administration4  7#b7 ,commission ,the 
term commission means a joint interstate
 governmental agency comprised of       
,states that have entered into an       
interstate compact for the purpose of   

implementing1 facilitating1 and         
effectuating provisions of such         
interstate compact4  7#c7 ,counselor    
,the term counselor means a licensed    
professional that is trained to give    
guidance to individuals1 families1 and  
groups with respect to personal1 social1
 or psychological problems4  7#d7       
,eligible entity ,the term eligible     
entity means a professional1            
psychiatric1 psychological1 social work1
 or pediatric counseling interstate     
compact commission or licensure board of
 a ,state that is participating in an   
occupational licensure interstate       
compact4  7#e7 ,interstate compact ,the 
term compact means an occupational      
licensure agreement enacted by #b or    
more ,states that is based on the mutual
 recognition of professional            
qualifications through criteria         
stipulated in such agreement1 in which a
 ,state agrees to recognize the issuance
 of a license by another ,state to a    
counselor1 psychiatrist1 psychologist1  

or pediatric mental health professional4
  7#f7 ,state ,the term ,state has the  
meaning given the term in section #feja 
of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4    
7c7 ,authorization of appropriations    
,there is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this ,act #d1jjj1jjj for   
each of fiscal years #bjbg through      
#bjcj4