Mental Health TALK SAFE Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 6994 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6994 To amend the Controlled Substances Act to modify requirements relating to the prescription of controlled substances by means of the internet, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 9, 2026 Mr. Dunn of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Controlled Substances Act to modify requirements relating to the prescription of controlled substances by means of the internet, and for other purposes. 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 ``Mental Health TALK SAFE Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. TELEHEALTH PRESCRIBING OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES. (a) Definition of Valid Prescription.--Section 309(e)(2)(A) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 829(e)(2)(A)) is amended-- (1) in clause (i), by striking ``or'' at the end; (2) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and (3) by adding at the end the following: ``(iii) a telehealth practitioner who, for purposes of prescribing an approved mental health controlled substance, has conducted at least 1 telehealth evaluation of the patient; or ``(iv) a practitioner who, for purposes of prescribing a controlled substance in schedule II, III, IV, or V for the treatment of an opioid use disorder, has conducted at least 1 telehealth evaluation of the patient.''. (b) Defi