---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 290bb–36d"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "290bb–36d"
heading: "Treatment Referral Routing Service"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/290bb-36d"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter III–A — Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration"
  - "Part B — Centers and Programs"
  - "Subpart 3 — center for mental health services"
---

# §290bb–36d. Treatment Referral Routing Service

- (a) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), acting through the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), shall maintain the National [Treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) Referral Routing [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) (referred to in this section as the “Routing [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a)”) to assist individuals and families in locating mental and substance use disorders [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8).
- (b) **Activities of the Secretary—** To maintain the Routing [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), the activities of the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall include administering—
  - (1) a nationwide, telephone number providing year-round access to information that is updated on a regular basis regarding local behavioral health [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8) and community-based organizations in a manner that is confidential, without requiring individuals to identify themselves, is in languages that include at least English and Spanish, and is at no cost to the individual using the Routing [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a); and
  - (2) an Internet website to provide a searchable, online [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) locator of behavioral health [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8) and community-based organizations, which shall include information on the name, location, contact information, and basic [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) provided by such [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8) and organizations.
- (c) **Removing practitioner contact information—** In the event that the Internet website described in [subsection (b)(2)](#b-2) contains information on any practitioner who prescribes [narcotic](/usc/42/201.md?p=j) [drugs](/usc/42/11851.md?p=4) in schedule III, IV, or V of [section 812 of title 21](/usc/21/812.md) for the purpose of maintenance or detoxification [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11), the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c)—
  - (1) shall provide an opportunity to such practitioner to have the contact information of the practitioner removed from the website at the request of the practitioner; and
  - (2) may evaluate other methods to periodically update the information displayed on such website.
- (d) **Rule of construction—** Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) from using any unobligated amounts otherwise made available to the Administration to maintain the Routing [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a).

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title V, § 520E–4, as added Pub. L. 114–255, div. B, title IX, § 9006, Dec. 13, 2016, 130 Stat. 1239; amended Pub. L. 117–215, title I, § 103(b)(3)(A), Dec. 2, 2022, 136 Stat. 2263; Pub. L. 117–328, div. FF, title I, § 1262(b)(3), Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 5682; Pub. L. 119–26, § 4(2)(B)(iv), July 16, 2025, 139 Stat. 417.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2025—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 119–26, § 4(2)(B)(iv), amended Pub. L. 117–328, § 1262(b)(3). See 2022 Amendment note below.

2022—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 117–328, § 1262(b)(3), as amended by Pub. L. 119–26, § 4(2)(B)(iv), substituted “information on any practitioner who prescribes narcotic drugs in schedule III, IV, or V of section 812 of title 21 for the purpose of maintenance or detoxification treatment” for “information on any qualified practitioner that is certified to prescribe medication for opioid dependency under section 823(h)(2)(B) of title 21” in introductory provisions.

Pub. L. 117–215 substituted “823(h)(2)(B)” for “823(g)(2)(B)” in introductory provisions.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2025 Amendment

Pub. L. 119–26, § 4, July 16, 2025, 139 Stat. 416, provided that the amendment made by section 4(2)(B)(iv) is effective as if included in the enactment of Pub. L. 117–328.