Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 6817 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 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 provid