Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Rural Wellness Act”.
Rural Wellness Act
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.
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—
by striking “2025” and inserting “2028”;
in subparagraph (A), by striking “20” each place it appears and inserting “17”;
in subparagraph (B)—
in clause (ii)—
by inserting “or (ii)” before “that receives”; and
by inserting “or for behavioral and mental health treatment, respectively” before the period; and
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.”
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.”