Reps Salinas, Harshbarger Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Mental Health Telehealth Services for Rural Americans

Reps Andrea Salinas (D-OR) and Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) reintroduced the bipartisan Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act. Their legislation would expand access to telehealth services, including mental health and substance use care, for rural Americans who continue to face barriers to in-person care, especially for individuals working in the farming, fishing, and forestry industries. The bipartisan legislation establishes a new grant program to help public and nonprofit telemental health provider networks deliver mental health and substance use care remotely to people in rural and medically underserved communities. The program prioritizes individuals living in rural Health Professional Shortage Areas and people working in farming, fishing, and forestry, with grants awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services in consultation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Funding may be used to provide home-based telemental health services, expand access through broadband, devices, and telehealth technology, and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of care compared to in-person services. The bill authorizes $10 million annually from fiscal years 2025 through 2029 and requires HHS to report to Congress on program outcomes.