---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 254c–19"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "254c–19"
heading: "Pediatric mental health care access grants"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/254c-19"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter II — General Powers and Duties"
  - "Part D — Primary Health Care"
  - "Subpart i — health centers"
---

# §254c–19. Pediatric mental health care access grants

- (a) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), acting through the [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) of the Health Resources and [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) Administration and in coordination with other relevant Federal [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), shall award grants or cooperative agreements to [States](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), political subdivisions of [States](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), and Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations (for purposes of this section, as such terms are defined in [section 5304 of title 25](/usc/25/5304.md)) to promote behavioral health integration in pediatric primary care by—
  - (1) supporting the development of statewide or regional pediatric mental health care telehealth access [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4); and
  - (2) supporting the improvement of existing statewide or regional pediatric mental health care telehealth access [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4).
- (b) **Program requirements—**
  - (1) **In general—** A pediatric mental health care telehealth access [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) referred to in [subsection (a)](#a), with respect to which an award under such subsection may be used, shall—
    - (A) be a statewide or regional network of pediatric mental health teams that provide support to pediatric primary care sites as an integrated team;
    - (B) support and further develop organized [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f) or regional networks of pediatric mental health teams to provide consultative support to pediatric primary care sites;
    - (C) conduct an assessment of critical behavioral consultation needs among pediatric [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8) and such [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8)’ preferred mechanisms for receiving consultation, training, and technical assistance;
    - (D) develop an online database and communication mechanisms, including telehealth, to facilitate consultation support to pediatric [practices](/usc/42/17061.md?p=19);
    - (E) provide rapid statewide or regional clinical telephone or telehealth consultations when requested between the pediatric mental health teams and pediatric primary care [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8);
    - (F) conduct training and provide technical assistance to pediatric primary care [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8) to support the early identification, diagnosis, [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11), and referral of children with behavioral health conditions;
    - (G) provide information to pediatric [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8) about, and assist pediatric [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8) in accessing, pediatric mental [health care providers](/usc/42/300aa–33.md?p=1), including child and [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) psychiatrists, developmental-behavioral pediatricians, and licensed mental health professionals, such as psychologists, social workers, or mental health counselors and in scheduling and conducting technical assistance;
    - (H) provide information to pediatric [health care providers](/usc/42/300aa–33.md?p=1) about available mental health [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) for children in the community and assist with referrals to specialty care and community or behavioral health resources; and
    - (I) establish mechanisms for measuring and monitoring increased access to pediatric mental health [care services](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-7) by pediatric primary care [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8) and expanded capacity of pediatric primary care [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8) to identify, treat, and refer children with mental health conditions.
  - (2) **Support to schools and emergency departments—**
    - (A) **In general—** In addition to the activities required under [paragraph (1)](#b-1), a pediatric mental health care access [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) referred to in [subsection (a)](#a), with respect to which an award under such subsection may be used, may provide information, consultative support, training, and technical assistance to—
      - (i) emergency departments; and
      - (ii) [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f) educational [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), [local educational agencies](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=3), Tribal educational [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), and elementary and secondary [schools](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=6).
    - (B) **Requirements for certain recipients—** An entity receiving information, consultative support, training, and technical assistance under [subparagraph (A)(ii)](#b-2-A-ii) shall operate in a manner consistent with, and shall ensure consistency with, the requirements of subsections (a) and (c) of [section 7101 of title 20](/usc/20/7101.md)[^1] with respect to such information, consultative support, training, and technical assistance.
  - (3) **Pediatric mental health teams—** In this subsection, the term “pediatric mental health team” means a team consisting of at least one case coordinator, at least one child and [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) psychiatrist, and at least one licensed clinical mental health professional, such as a psychologist, social worker, or mental health counselor, and which may include a developmental-behavioral pediatrician. Such a team may be regionally based.
- (c) **Application—** A [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), political subdivision of a [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), Indian Tribe, or Tribal organization seeking an award under this section shall submit an application to the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may require, including a plan for the comprehensive evaluation of activities that are carried out with funds received under such award.
- (d) **Evaluation—** A [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), political subdivision of a [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), Indian Tribe, or Tribal organization that receives an award under this section shall prepare and submit an evaluation of activities that are carried out with funds received under such award to the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may reasonably require, including a process and outcome evaluation.
- (e) **Access to broadband—** In administering awards under this section, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may coordinate with other [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) to ensure that funding opportunities are available to support access to reliable, high-speed Internet for [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8).
- (f) **Matching requirement—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may not make an award under this section unless the [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), political subdivision of a [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), Indian Tribe, or Tribal organization involved agrees, with respect to the costs to be incurred by the [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), political subdivision of a [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), Indian Tribe, or Tribal organization in carrying out the purpose described in this section, to make available non-Federal contributions (in cash or in kind) toward such costs in an amount that is not less than 20 percent of Federal funds provided in the award.
- (g) **Technical assistance—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may—
  - (1) provide, or continue to provide, technical assistance to recipients of awards under [subsection (a)](#a); and
  - (2) award a grant or contract to an eligible public or [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) private entity (as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c)) for the purpose of providing such technical assistance pursuant to this subsection.
- (h) **Authorization of appropriations—** To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated, $31,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 330M, as added Pub. L. 114–255, div. B, title X, § 10002, Dec. 13, 2016, 130 Stat. 1262; amended Pub. L. 117–159, div. A, title I, § 11005, June 25, 2022, 136 Stat. 1321.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 7101 of title 20, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), was in the original “section 4001 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act” and was translated as if it had read “section 4001 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965” to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

### Amendments

2022—Pub. L. 117–159, § 11005(1), made technical amendment to section designation in original Act as added by Pub. L. 114–255, § 10002, resulting in no change in text.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 117–159, § 11005(2), inserted “or cooperative agreements” after “award grants” and substituted “Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations” for “Indian tribes and tribal organizations” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 117–159, § 11005(3)(A)(i), substituted “an award” for “a grant” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (b)(1)(G). Pub. L. 117–159, § 11005(3)(A)(ii), inserted “developmental-behavioral pediatricians,” after “psychiatrists,”.

Subsec. (b)(1)(H). Pub. L. 117–159, § 11005(3)(A)(iii), inserted “provide information to pediatric health care providers about available mental health services for children in the community and” before “assist”.

Subsec. (b)(1)(I). Pub. L. 117–159, § 11005(3)(A)(iv), substituted “conditions” for “problems”.

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 117–159, § 11005(3)(C), added par. (2). Former par. (2) redesignated (3).

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 117–159, § 11005(3)(B), (D), redesignated par. (2) as (3) and inserted “, and which may include a developmental-behavioral pediatrician” after “or mental health counselor”.

Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 117–159, § 11005(4), (5), substituted “Indian Tribe, or Tribal organization” for “Indian tribe, or tribal organization”, “an award” for “a grant”, and “such award” for “such grant”.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 117–159, § 11005(6), substituted “awards” for “grants”.

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 117–159, § 11005(4), (7), substituted “make an award” for “award a grant”, “Indian Tribe, or Tribal organization” for “Indian tribe, or tribal organization” in two places, and “the award” for “the grant”.

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 117–159, § 11005(9), added subsec. (g). Former subsec. (g) redesignated (h).

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 117–159, § 11005(8), (10), redesignated subsec. (g) as (h) and substituted “$31,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027” for “$9,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2018 through 2022”.