To provide for a study on the accessibility of substance use disorder treatment and mental health care providers and services for farmers and ranchers, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · November 2, 2023
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
This bill directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a comprehensive study on how accessible substance use disorder treatment and mental health care services are for farmers and ranchers. The study must be completed within two years and must examine availability in rural areas, barriers farmers face in accessing care such as financial and geographic obstacles, and successful state and local programs that could be expanded nationally. The study will also look at best practices like training providers in agricultural community needs, expanding telehealth services, reducing stigma in farming communities, and improving coordination between mental health providers and agricultural organizations. The findings will be reported to the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, along with relevant Congressional committees, to inform future policy decisions about supporting mental health and substance use treatment in agricultural communities.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.