Bill Summary
The "Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act of 2025" aims to improve access to mental health and substance use services for rural populations and individuals engaged in farming, fishing, and forestry occupations. The legislation establishes a grant program through which eligible public or nonprofit telemental health provider networks can receive funding to deliver remote mental health services directly to patients in their homes.
Key components of the bill include:
1. **Definitions**: It outlines terms such as "covered populations," which includes those in health professional shortage areas and specific occupational groups, and "telemental health," which refers to the use of technology to provide mental health care remotely.
2. **Grant Program**: The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, will oversee the awarding of grants to enhance home-based telemental health services.
3. **Fund Utilization**: Grant recipients are required to use funds for delivering services, measuring the effectiveness of home-based care compared to traditional methods, and improving the necessary infrastructure, such as broadband access and technology for both patients and providers.
4. **Reporting**: The Secretary must report to Congress on the program's impact and quality of care within three years of its launch and every two years thereafter.
The bill allocates up to $10 million annually from 2025 to 2029 to support this initiative, aiming to address the mental health needs of underserved rural communities effectively.
Possible Impacts
The "Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act of 2025" has the potential to impact individuals in various ways, especially those in rural and underserved populations. Here are three examples of how this legislation could affect people:
1. **Increased Access to Mental Health Services**: Individuals living in rural areas or those engaged in farming, fishing, and forestry occupations often face barriers to accessing mental health and substance use services due to geographic isolation and limited local resources. This legislation would provide grants to eligible entities to deliver telemental health services directly to these populations in their homes, reducing the need for travel and making mental health care more accessible.
2. **Enhanced Quality of Care**: By requiring the development of metrics to measure the quality and impact of home-based telemental health services, the legislation encourages the implementation of evidence-based practices. This can lead to improved outcomes for patients, as healthcare providers will be incentivized to refine their methods and ensure that the care delivered through telemental health is effective and meets the specific needs of the covered populations.
3. **Improved Technological Infrastructure**: The legislation allocates funds to support infrastructure improvements, such as expanding broadband access and providing necessary technology for both patients and healthcare providers. Individuals would benefit from enhanced connectivity, making it easier for them to participate in telemental health sessions. This could also lead to better overall health outcomes as patients become more engaged in their care due to the convenience and comfort of receiving services from home.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6817 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6817
To establish a home-based telemental health care grant program for
purposes of increasing mental health and substance use services in
rural medically underserved populations and for individuals in farming,
fishing, and forestry occupations.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 17, 2025
Ms. Salinas (for herself and Mrs. Harshbarger) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a home-based telemental health care grant program for
purposes of increasing mental health and substance use services in
rural medically underserved populations and for individuals in farming,
fishing, and forestry occupations.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Home-Based Telemental Health Care
Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE SERVICES DELIVERED TO RURAL
UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS VIA TELEMENTAL HEALTH CARE.
Title III of the Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting
after section 330K (42 U.S.C. 254c-16) the following:
``SEC. 330K-1. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE SERVICES DELIVERED TO
RURAL UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS VIA TELEMENTAL HEALTH CARE.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the term `covered populations' means--
``(A) health professional shortage areas (as
defined in section 332(a)(1)) in rural areas; or
``(B) populations engaged in a farming, fishing, or
forestry industry;
``(2) the term `eligible entity' means a public or
nonprofit private telemental health provider network that
offers services that include mental health and substance use
services provided by professionals trained in mental health and
substance use;
``(3) the term `farming, fishing, or forestry industry'
means an occupation defined as a farming, fishing, or forestry
occupation by the Department of Labor in accordance with the
Standard Occupational Classification System;
``(4) the term `home-based telemental' means the use of
telemental health services where the patient is in his or her
own home or other place of comfort;
``(5) the term `professional trained in mental health'
means a psychiatrist, a qualified mental health professional
(as defined in section 330K), or another mental health
professional acting under the direction of a psychiatrist;
``(6) the term `rural' has the meaning given such term by
the Office of Rural Health Policy of the Health Resources and
Services Administration; and
``(7) the term `telemental health' means the use of
electronic information and telecommunications technologies to
support long distance clinical health care, patient and
professional health-related education, public health, and
health administration.
``(b) Program Authorized.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
Rural Health Liaison of the Department of Agriculture, shall award
grants to eligible entities to expand and enhance access to mental
health and substance use services for covered populations in their
homes or other places of comfort, as delivered remotely by
professionals trained in mental health and substance use using
telemental health care.
``(c) Use of Funds.--Recipients of a grant under this section shall
use the grant funds to--
``(1) deliver home-based telemental health services to
covered populations;
``(2) develop comprehensive metrics to measure the quality
and impact of home-based telemental health services compared to
traditional in-person mental health and substance use care; and
``(3) support infrastructure that enhances the capacity of
health care providers to deliver telemental health services in
patients' homes or other places of comfort, including by--
``(A) expanding broadband access;
``(B) providing devices for patients to access
telemental health services; and
``(C) offsetting costs of technology necessary for
health care providers to deliver high quality care.
``(d) Report.--The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of
Agriculture, not later than 3 years after the date on which the program
under this section commences, and 2 years thereafter, shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees reports on the impact and
quality of care of home-based telemental health care services for
covered populations.
``(e) Authorized Use of Funds.--Out of any amounts made available
to the Secretary, up to $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025
through 2029 may be allocated to carrying out the program under this
section.''.
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