H.R. 1906

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1906 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1906

To provide for the prioritization of projects that provide behavioral 
and mental health treatment services in selecting grantees under 
certain rural development programs, and extend the substance abuse 
disorder set-aside and priority under the programs.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 6, 2025

Ms. Budzinski (for herself, Mr. Finstad, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, 
and Mr. Taylor) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To provide for the prioritization of projects that provide behavioral 
and mental health treatment services in selecting grantees under 
certain rural development programs, and extend the substance abuse 
disorder set-aside and priority under the programs.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Wellness Act''.

SEC. 2. PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS THAT PROVIDE BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL 
HEALTH TREATMENT SERVICES IN SELECTING GRANTEES UNDER 
CERTAIN RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS; EXTENSION OF 
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SET-ASIDE AND PRIORITY UNDER THE 
PROGRAMS.

Section 6101(a)(1) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (132 
Stat. 4726) is amended--
(1) by striking ``2025'' and inserting ``2029'';
(2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``20'' each place it 
appears and inserting ``17'';
(3) in subparagraph (B)--
(A) in clause (ii)--
(i) by inserting ``or (ii)'' before ``that 
receives''; and
(ii) by inserting ``or for behavioral and 
mental health treatment, respectively'' before 
the period; and
(B) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii) 
and inserting after clause (i) the following:
``(ii) Behavioral and mental health 
treatment selection priority.--In selecting 
recipients of direct loans or grants for the 
development of essential community facilities 
under section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm 
and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)), 
the Secretary shall give priority to entities 
eligible for those direct loans or grants--
``(I) to develop facilities to 
provide behavioral and mental health 
services such as--
``(aa) prevention services;
``(bb) treatment services;
``(cc) recovery services; 
or
``(dd) any combination of 
those services; and
``(II) that employ staff that have 
appropriate expertise and training in 
how to identify and treat individuals 
with behavioral and mental health 
concerns.''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(D) Rural health and safety education programs; 
behavioral and mental health selection priority.--In 
making grants under section 502(i) of the Rural 
Development Act of 1972 (7 U.S.C. 2662(i)), the 
Secretary shall give priority to an applicant that will 
use the grant for behavioral and mental health 
education and treatment.''.
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