Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), with Reps. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) and Annie Kuster (D-N.H.), introduced H.R. 3080, the Health Center Service Expansion and Provider Shortage Reduction Act to increase access to mental and behavioral health services provided through health centers, expand weekend and evening hours, create new service sites, and invest in strengthening the primary care workforce through the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). The bill meets the needs of communities nationwide impacted by health care provider shortages and the needs of health centers facing dire fiscal challenges from rising labor costs and the ending of the Public Health Emergency.

“On behalf of the 1,400 health centers across the nation and the 30 million patients they serve via almost 15,000 health care delivery sites, we appreciate the leadership by Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Nanette Barragan, and Annie Kuster, in introducing the Health Center Service Expansion and Provider Shortage Reduction Act,” said Rachel A. Gonzales-Hanson, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer at the National Association of Community Health Centers. “This legislation will help address gaps in care by providing additional funding to expand access to behavioral health services, bolster service hours, fund new sites, and support the future health center workforce. Critical health center funding expires at the end of the fiscal year, and we look forward to working with Congress to enact bipartisan legislation before that deadline.”

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