I
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION 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
MARCH6, 2025
Ms. B
UDZINSKI(for herself, Mr. FINSTAD, Mr. DAVISof North Carolina, and
Mr. T
AYLOR) 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 select-
ing 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 Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Wellness Act’’. 4
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•HR 1906 IH
SEC. 2. PRIORITIZATION OF PROJECTS THAT PROVIDE BE-1
HAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH TREAT-2
MENT SERVICES IN SELECTING GRANTEES 3
UNDER CERTAIN RURAL DEVELOPMENT PRO-4
GRAMS; EXTENSION OF SUBSTANCE USE DIS-5
ORDER SET-ASIDE AND PRIORITY UNDER 6
THE PROGRAMS. 7
Section 6101(a)(1) of the Agriculture Improvement 8
Act of 2018 (132 Stat. 4726) is amended— 9
(1) by striking ‘‘2025’’ and inserting ‘‘2029’’; 10
(2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘20’’ each 11
place it appears and inserting ‘‘17’’; 12
(3) in subparagraph (B)— 13
(A) in clause (ii)— 14
(i) by inserting ‘‘or (ii)’’ before ‘‘that 15
receives’’; and 16
(ii) by inserting ‘‘or for behavioral 17
and mental health treatment, respectively’’ 18
before the period; and 19
(B) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause 20
(iii) and inserting after clause (i) the following: 21
‘‘(ii) B
EHAVIORAL AND MENTAL 22
HEALTH TREATMENT SELECTION PRI -23
ORITY.—In selecting recipients of direct 24
loans or grants for the development of es-25
sential community facilities under section 26
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•HR 1906 IH
306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and 1
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2
1926(a)), the Secretary shall give priority 3
to entities eligible for those direct loans or 4
grants— 5
‘‘(I) to develop facilities to pro-6
vide behavioral and mental health 7
services such as— 8
‘‘(aa) prevention services; 9
‘‘(bb) treatment services; 10
‘‘(cc) recovery services; or 11
‘‘(dd) any combination of 12
those services; and 13
‘‘(II) that employ staff that have 14
appropriate expertise and training in 15
how to identify and treat individuals 16
with behavioral and mental health 17
concerns.’’; and 18
(4) by adding at the end the following: 19
‘‘(D) R
URAL HEALTH AND SAFETY EDU -20
CATION PROGRAMS; BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL 21
HEALTH SELECTION PRIORITY .—In making 22
grants under section 502(i) of the Rural Devel-23
opment Act of 1972 (7 U.S.C. 2662(i)), the 24
Secretary shall give priority to an applicant 25
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•HR 1906 IH
that will use the grant for behavioral and men-1
tal health education and treatment.’’. 2
Æ
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