Bill · S. 1056· Senate(119-S-1056)
Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 3/13/2025
- Last activity
- 3/13/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Mike Rounds
- Cosponsors
- - 2 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act of 2025 seeks to establish a grant program for mental health and substance use services. The program focuses on providing these services to rural medically underserved populations and individuals working in the farming, fishing, and forestry industries. These services would be delivered via telemental health to patients in their own homes or other places of comfort. The Secretary will award grants to eligible public or nonprofit private telemental health provider networks. The bill also includes provisions for infrastructure support, such as broadband expansion and device provision.
Yes· 3 of 8
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?+8
Rural populations receive direct benefits through increased mental health access and broadband support.
Does this make mental health care easier to get?+7
The bill establishes a grant program to expand access to mental health and substance use services via telemental health.
Does this make health care easier to get in general?+6
It specifically targets underserved rural populations and specialized industry workers to improve healthcare reach.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Access to Care: The program aims to expand and enhance access to mental health and substance use services for covered populations, specifically those in rural health professional shortage areas and those in the farming, fishing, or forestry industries (Section 2(b)).
-
Convenience of Service: Services are designed to be "home-based," allowing patients to receive care in their own homes or other places of comfort (Section 2(a)(4)).
-
Infrastructure Improvement: Grant funds can be used to expand broadband access, provide devices for patients to access services, and offset technology costs for healthcare providers (Section 2(c)(3)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts or burdens are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Healthcare
- Improves Mental Health Access+7Improves Healthcare Access+6Improves Opioid Crisis Response+5
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Rural Residents+8Good For Farmers+6Good For Low Income Households+3
- Education And Technology
- Improves Internet Access+6
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+5
- 4/1/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/14/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/13/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
John BoozmanRepublican · Arkansas
Cindy Hyde-SmithRepublican · Mississippi
Tina SmithDemocrat · Minnesota