H.R. 6364

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6364 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6364

To amend titles XI, XIX, and XXI of the Social Security Act with 
respect to screening for childhood onset fluency disorders, and to 
require coverage of certain speech therapy services under Medicaid and 
CHIP.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

December 2, 2025

Mr. McDowell (for himself, Mr. Figures, and Mr. Vindman) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend titles XI, XIX, and XXI of the Social Security Act with 
respect to screening for childhood onset fluency disorders, and to 
require coverage of certain speech therapy services under Medicaid and 
CHIP.

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 ``Kidd's Stuttering Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDING SCREENING AND REQUIRING COVERAGE OF CERTAIN SPEECH 
THERAPY SERVICES UNDER MEDICAID AND CHIP.

(a) Inclusion of Screening for Stuttering and Speech Fluency in 
Core Set of Child Health Quality Measures.--Section 1139A(b)(5) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-9a(b)(5)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``Beginning no later than'' and inserting 
the following:
``(A) In general.--Beginning no later than''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(B) Screening for stuttering and speech 
fluency.--
``(i) In general.--Not later than January 
1, 2026, the Secretary shall publish changes to 
the core measures described in subsection (a) 
to include measures of screening for childhood-
onset fluency disorders, including stuttering, 
for children who have attained the age of 2 
(and have not attained the age of 6).
``(ii) Publication.--The Secretary shall 
publish the changes required by clause (i) at 
the same time and in the same manner as the 
relevant annual recommended changes required 
under subparagraph (A).''.
(b) Required Screening for Stuttering and Speech Fluency in 
Medicaid Well-Child Visits.--Section 1905(r)(1)(B) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(r)(1)(B)) is amended--
(1) in clause (iv), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in clause (v), by striking the period at the end and 
inserting ``, and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new clause:
``(vi) beginning January 1, 2027, for 
children who have attained the age of 2 (and 
have not attained the age of 6), screening for 
childhood-onset fluency disorders, including 
stuttering.''.
(c) Required Coverage of Certain Speech Therapy Services.--
(1) Medicaid.--Title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) is amended--
(A) in section 1902(a)--
(i) in paragraph (10)(A), by striking ``and 
(30)'' and inserting ``(30), and (32)'';
(ii) in paragraph (88)(B)(iii), by striking 
``and'' at the end;
(iii) in paragraph (89), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(iv) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
``(90) provide that the treatment limitations applicable to 
specified speech therapy services (as defined in section 
1905(ll)) are no more restrictive than the treatment 
limitations applicable to any speech therapy services for the 
treatment of expressive language disorder, receptive language 
disorder, mixed expressive and receptive language disorder, or 
articulation, for which medical assistance is provided under 
the State plan (or waiver of such plan).''; and
(B) in section 1905--
(i) in subsection (a)--
(I) in paragraph (31), by striking 
``and'' at the end;
(II) by redesignating paragraph 
(32) as paragraph (33); and
(III) by inserting after paragraph 
(31) the following new paragraph:
``(32) beginning on January 1, 2027, specified speech 
therapy services (as defined in subsection (ll)); and''; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
``(ll) Specified Speech Therapy Services.--For purposes of 
subsection (a)(32), the term `specified speech therapy services'--
``(1) means speech therapy services for the treatment of 
childhood-onset fluency disorders, including stuttering; and
``(2) includes such services delivered through real-time, 
audio and video telecommunications technology.''.
(2) CHIP.--
(A) In general.--Section 2103(c) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397cc(c)) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new paragraph:
``(13) Required coverage of certain speech therapy 
services.--Beginning January 1, 2027, the child health 
assistance provided to a targeted low-income child shall 
include coverage of specified speech therapy services (as such 
term is defined in section 1905(ll)).''.
(B) Treatment parity.--Section 2107(e)(1) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397gg(e)(1)) is 
amended--
(i) by redesignating subparagraphs (I) 
through (W) as subparagraphs (J) through (X), 
respectively; and
(ii) by inserting after subparagraph (H) 
the following new subparagraph:
``(I) Section 1902(a)(90) (relating to parity in 
coverage of speech therapy services).''.
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