I 
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 pro-
gram for purposes of increasing mental health and sub-
stance use services in rural medically underserved popu-
lations and for individuals in farming, fishing, and for-
estry occupations. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Home-Based Tele-
mental Health Care Act of 2025’’. 
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SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE SERVICES 
DELIVERED TO RURAL UNDERSERVED POPU-
LATIONS 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 SERV-
ICES 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 provided by professionals 
trained in mental health and substance use; 
‘‘(3) the term ‘farming, fishing, or forestry in-
dustry’ means an occupation defined as a farming, 
fishing, or forestry occupation by the Department of 
Labor in accordance with the Standard Occupational 
Classification System; 
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‘‘(4) the term ‘home-based telemental’ means 
the use of telemental health services where the pa-
tient is in his or her own home or other place of 
comfort; 
‘‘(5) the term ‘professional trained in mental 
health’ means a psychiatrist, a qualified mental 
health professional (as defined in section 330K), or 
another mental health professional acting under the 
direction of a psychiatrist; 
‘‘(6) the term ‘rural’ has the meaning given 
such term by the Office of Rural Health Policy of 
the Health Resources and Services Administration; 
and 
‘‘(7) the term ‘telemental health’ means the use 
of electronic information and telecommunications 
technologies to support long distance clinical health 
care, patient and professional health-related edu-
cation, public health, and health administration. 
‘‘(b) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary, in 
consultation with the Rural Health Liaison of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture, shall award grants to eligible entities 
to expand and enhance access to mental health and sub-
stance use services for covered populations in their homes 
or other places of comfort, as delivered remotely by profes-
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sionals trained in mental health and substance use using 
telemental health care. 
‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.—Recipients of a grant under 
this section shall use the grant funds to— 
‘‘(1) deliver home-based telemental health serv-
ices to covered populations; 
‘‘(2) develop comprehensive metrics to measure 
the quality and impact of home-based telemental 
health services compared to traditional in-person 
mental health and substance use care; and 
‘‘(3) support infrastructure that enhances the 
capacity of health care providers to deliver tele-
mental health services in patients’ homes or other 
places of comfort, including by— 
‘‘(A) expanding broadband access; 
‘‘(B) providing devices for patients to ac-
cess telemental health services; and 
‘‘(C) offsetting costs of technology nec-
essary for health care providers to deliver high 
quality care. 
‘‘(d) REPORT.—The Secretary, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Agriculture, not later than 3 years after 
the date on which the program under this section com-
mences, and 2 years thereafter, shall submit to the appro-
priate congressional committees reports on the impact and 
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quality of care of home-based telemental health care serv-
ices for covered populations. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZED USE
OF FUNDS.—Out of any 
amounts made available to the Secretary, up to 
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029 
may be allocated to carrying out the program under this 
section.’’. 
Æ 
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