Building Capacity for Care Act
Sponsored By: Representative Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide loans, loan guarantees, and grants to expand and modernize mental health and substance use treatment facilities, including digital and telehealth upgrades, new or converted inpatient beds, and integrated care capacity.
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- Hospitals and treatment providers could use loans and grants to buy, build, or renovate facilities. Borrowers must cover at least 25% of project costs from non-Federal sources and loans would mature no longer than 20 years or half the asset’s useful life.
- Patients and families could see more local treatment options as projects must add capacity in counties with insufficient beds and support inpatient, pediatric, adolescent, and adult psychiatric and substance use disorder care.
- Rural and high-need communities gain priority for grants. Funding is targeted to mental health professional shortage areas and counties or municipalities with overdose or suicide rates above the national average per CDC data.
*Authorizes up to $200 million per year for loans and guarantees and $200 million per year for grants for fiscal years 2025–2029 and creates a trust fund to receive program revenues.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Loans and grants to expand mental health care
This bill would let HHS offer loans, loan guarantees, and grants to buy, build, or fix mental health and addiction treatment facilities, and improve telehealth. Public and private hospitals and treatment centers could apply. Projects would need to add beds where capacity is short, serve high‑need rural or underresourced areas, offer many types of care, or handle complex cases. Borrowers would have to cover at least 25% of project costs and pay fees with non‑federal funds. Grants would favor places in mental‑health shortage areas or with overdose or suicide rates above national averages over the last three years. Congress could allow up to $200 million a year in loans and guarantees and $200 million a year in grants for fiscal years 2025–2029, if funds are appropriated. The Secretary could also refinance certain recent loans, within limits.
Trust fund for community mental health grants
The bill would create a Treasury trust fund for mental health and substance use treatment. If program revenues ever exceed program costs, the same amount could be put into this fund. Money would stay available until used. If Congress later approves, these dollars could support community mental health block grants.
Loan terms and fees for treatment facilities
The bill would set guardrails on these loans and guarantees. Guarantees could cover up to 80% of a potential loss, and loans could not be subordinated or made tax‑exempt. Final loan maturity would be no more than 20 years or half the asset’s useful life. Rates would track Treasury benchmarks, with a floor at the government’s estimated cost plus 1%, adjustable each quarter. Fees would at least cover expected default costs plus 1%, with reviews every six months. Refinancing would be allowed only for loans made within 24 months before enactment, and that authority would end 24 months after enactment. On default, the government could pay 75% of the loss and then seek recovery; forbearance could be approved if budget authority is available.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6]
OR • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large]
VT • D
Sponsored 3/18/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov