A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Expand the Behavioral Health Workforce Now Act. It requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance to states within 12 months. This guidance will focus on strategies under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. The goal is to increase the education, training, recruitment, and retention of mental health and substance use disorder care providers. The guidance will specifically focus on improving workforce capacity in rural and underserved areas. States will receive information on how to utilize specific waivers and authorities for these purposes.
Yes· 3 of 15
- Scored +6
Does this make mental health care easier to get?
The bill directly focuses on expanding the mental health and substance use disorder care workforce.
- Scored +5
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
The legislation explicitly targets workforce capacity improvements in rural and underserved areas.
- Scored +5
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
Guidance to states specifically emphasizes improving healthcare workforce capacity in rural and underserved areas.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Section 2: This section requires guidance on increasing mental health and substance use disorder care provider education, training, recruitment, and retention. This is positive because it aims to grow the workforce that helps people struggling with mental health and substance use.
-
Section 2: The guidance will have a specific focus on improving workforce capacity in rural and underserved areas. This is positive because it helps people in those specific regions get better access to necessary care.
-
Section 2: States will receive information on how to use section 1115 waivers and other program authorities. This is positive because it gives states practical tools to support these healthcare providers under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Section 2: The text explicitly states that the guidance issued to states by the Secretary of Health and Human Services is non-mandatory. This could be viewed as a negative because states are not required to follow the strategies, meaning the bill might not actually result in any real-world improvements for people.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The legislation explicitly targets workforce capacity improvements in rural and underserved areas. Would children be better off under this? — Inclusion of CHIP strategies helps expand behavioral health access for children. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Focuses on Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries who typically belong to low-income households. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Improves access to behavioral health services for the general adult population. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — Underserved populations, which often include tribal communities, benefit from the bill's focus. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Expands mental health provider availability for young populations. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Broadly improves behavioral health infrastructure accessible to the public.
- Healthcare
- Does this make mental health care easier to get? — The bill directly focuses on expanding the mental health and substance use disorder care workforce. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Guidance to states specifically emphasizes improving healthcare workforce capacity in rural and underserved areas. Does this do more about addiction and overdose deaths? — Targeting substance use disorder care provider retention and training directly supports opioid crisis response efforts. Does this put more money into Medicaid, the health coverage for people on low incomes? — The legislation provides guidance on utilizing Medicaid and CHIP strategies to support behavioral health providers.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill aims to increase recruitment and retention of mental health and substance use disorder care providers.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill places a specific focus on improving healthcare workforce capacity in rural areas.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill provides optional strategies and waiver information for states to implement voluntarily. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill requires the federal government to issue guidance to states.
- 12/16/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- 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.
Gary PetersDemocrat · Michigan