I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6226 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a national awareness 
and outreach campaign to improve mental health among the Hispanic 
and Latino youth population. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 20, 2025 
Ms. SALINAS (for herself, Ms. STANSBURY, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. CARSON, Mr. 
THANEDAR, Mr. TORRES of New York, Ms. BARRAGA´N, and Mrs. WAT-
SON COLEMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for 
a national awareness and outreach campaign to improve 
mental health among the Hispanic and Latino youth 
population. 
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 ‘‘Latino Youth Mental 
Health Empowerment Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) Hispanic and Latino youth often experience 
and suffer from toxic stress, which stems from pro-
longed stress, trauma, or adverse childhood experi-
ences. 
(2) At least 78 percent of Hispanic and Latino 
youth suffer from at least one adverse childhood ex-
perience, which can harm a child’s physical and 
mental health. 
(3) Among Hispanic and Latino youth, approxi-
mately 60 percent were more likely to report poor 
mental health compared to their counterparts. 
(4) About 42 percent of Hispanic and Latino 
youth have reported persistent feelings of sadness or 
hopelessness. 
(5) Approximately 18 percent of Hispanic and 
Latino high school students have seriously con-
templated suicide. 
(6) Hispanic and Latinos are less likely than 
any other ethnic groups to receive clinical or school- 
based mental illness treatment and medication. 
(7) Hispanic and Latino youth are less likely to 
use mental health care services compared to children 
of other ethnic groups. 
(8) There are numerous factors that impact ac-
cessibility to mental health services and mental 
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health outcomes. For instance, lower rates of health 
insurance, language and cultural barriers, and lack 
of parental education on mental health all contribute 
to adverse mental health outcomes for Hispanic and 
Latino youth. 
(9) Increased awareness and outreach about 
mental health to Hispanic and Latino parents, care-
givers, and youth are vital to ensure that Hispanic 
and Latino youth can experience positive mental 
health outcomes and reduced mental illness. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL HISPANIC AND LATINO MENTAL HEALTH 
AWARENESS AND OUTREACH CAMPAIGN. 
Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 290dd et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 554. NATIONAL HISPANIC AND LATINO YOUTH MEN-
TAL HEALTH AWARENESS AND OUTREACH 
CAMPAIGN. 
‘‘(a) STUDY ON PRIOR CAMPAIGNS.—Not later than 
1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
Secretary shall conduct a study on— 
‘‘(1) any education and outreach campaigns to 
promote mental health and reduce stigma associated 
with mental health that were carried out by the Sec-
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retary on or before the date of the enactment of the 
Latino Youth Mental Health Empowerment Act; and 
‘‘(2) which messaging delivered through such 
campaigns was most effective within the Latino com-
munity. 
‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF CAMPAIGN.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 
through the Assistant Secretary, shall develop and 
implement a national awareness and outreach cam-
paign to promote mental health and reduce stigma 
associated with mental health within the Hispanic 
and Latino youth population. Such campaign shall 
be developed— 
‘‘(A) taking into account the results of the 
study conducted under subsection (a); 
‘‘(B) in coordination with the Director of 
the Office of Minority Health, the Director of 
the National Institutes of Health, the Director 
of the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion, and Assistant Secretary for Mental Health 
and Substance Use, and the Secretary of Edu-
cation; and 
‘‘(C) in consultation with relevant advocacy 
and mental health organizations serving popu-
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lations of Hispanic and Latino individuals or 
communities. 
‘‘(2) ELEMENTS OF CAMPAIGN.—The campaign 
under paragraph (1) shall— 
‘‘(A) develop a culturally- and linguis-
tically-competent awareness campaign, targeted 
at Hispanic and Latino parents, caregivers, 
youth, teachers, school personnel, and school 
clinic staff to meet the diverse needs of His-
panic and Latino youth, including— 
‘‘(i) increasing awareness of symp-
toms associated with mental illnesses, in-
cluding their prevalence and misconcep-
tions among youth; 
‘‘(ii) increasing awareness of factors 
driving mental illness among Hispanic and 
Latino youth, including factors that are so-
cial determinants of health, taking into ac-
count differences within population sub-
groups, such as gender, gender identity, 
age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, geo-
graphic region or location, immigration 
status, and history of adverse childhood ex-
periences; 
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‘‘(iii) combatting the stigma of mental 
illnesses that are common in the Hispanic 
and Latino community, taking into ac-
count differences within such population 
subgroups; and 
‘‘(iv) increasing awareness of evi-
dence-based, culturally-tailored, and trau-
ma-informed 
mental 
illness 
screening, 
intervention, and treatment options, taking 
into account differences within such popu-
lation subgroups; and 
‘‘(B) develop a culturally and linguistically 
competent outreach campaign, targeted at His-
panic and Latino parents, caregivers, youth, 
teachers, school personnel, and school clinic 
staff to meet the diverse needs of Hispanic and 
Latino youth, including— 
‘‘(i) creating and distributing mental 
health materials and resources (including 
materials relating to the National Suicide 
Prevention and Mental Health Hotline 
under section 520E–3) in collaboration 
with local, State, and national community 
advocates and stakeholders, taking into ac-
count differences within population sub-
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groups, such as gender, gender identity, 
age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and geo-
graphic region or location; 
‘‘(ii) hosting in-person and virtual 
mental health workshops at relevant loca-
tions, including elementary schools and 
secondary schools (as such terms are de-
fined in section 8101 of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965), 
community centers, and other appropriate 
sites; 
‘‘(iii) providing youth mental health 
first aid training to parents, caregivers, 
teachers, school personnel, and school clin-
ic staff, and other personnel that consist-
ently interact or work with the target pop-
ulation; 
‘‘(iv) establishing partnerships be-
tween local, State, and national mental 
health agencies and elementary schools and 
secondary schools (as such terms are de-
fined in section 8101 of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965), 
after-school programs, and other appro-
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priate sites that serve Hispanic and Latino 
youth; and 
‘‘(v) 
providing 
mental 
health 
screenings and on-site consultations at ele-
mentary schools and secondary schools (as 
such terms are defined in section 8101 of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965), community centers, and 
other appropriates sites. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.’’. 
SEC. 4. STUDY AND REPORT ON THE HISPANIC AND LATINO 
YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS. 
(a) STUDY.— 
(1) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
Secretary, 
acting 
through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health 
and Substance Use, in coordination with the Direc-
tor of the National Institutes of Health, the Director 
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
the Director of the Office of Minority Health, and 
the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service, 
shall conduct a study on mental health among His-
panic and Latino youth. 
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(2) ELEMENTS.—Such study required under 
paragraph (1) shall include an assessment of— 
(A) the prevalence and risk factors of men-
tal health and substance use disorders among 
Hispanic and Latino youth; 
(B) the prevalence of attempted suicide 
and death by suicide among Hispanic and 
Latino youth; 
(C) the prevalence of treatment for mental 
health and substance use disorders among His-
panic and Latino youth; 
(D) the awareness and utilization of the 9– 
8–8 National Suicide Prevention and Mental 
Health Hotline under section 520E–3 of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb– 
36c) and other mental health and suicide pre-
vention hotlines among Hispanic and Latino 
youth; 
(E) the awareness, utilization, and avail-
ability of mobile crisis care teams, dispatched 
through the 9–8–8 National Suicide Prevention 
and Mental Health Hotline or other mental 
health and suicide prevent hotlines, among His-
panic and Latino youth; and 
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(F) the awareness, utilization, and avail-
ability of crisis centers for Hispanic and Latino 
youth in acute mental health or substance use 
crisis. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of the Latino Youth Mental Health Em-
powerment Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 
Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of 
the House of Representatives, and make publicly available, 
a report on the findings of the study conducted under sub-
section (a), including— 
(1) identification of the barriers to accessing 
mental health services and treatment for Hispanic 
and Latino youth; 
(2) recommendations to improve mental health 
services, outreach, and treatment among Hispanic 
and Latino youth; 
(3) recommendations to reduce rates of mental 
health and substance use disorders and suicide 
among Hispanic and Latino youth; 
(4) recommendations to improve awareness and 
utilization of the 9–8–8 National Suicide Prevention 
and Mental Health Hotline and other mental health 
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and suicide prevention hotlines among Hispanic and 
Latino youth; 
(5) recommendations to improve access to, and 
utilization of, mobile crisis care teams among His-
panic and Latino youth, when clinically appropriate; 
(6) recommendation to improve access to, and 
utilization of, crisis centers for Hispanic and Latino 
youth in acute mental health or substance use crisis, 
when clinically appropriate; and 
(7) such other recommendations as the Sec-
retary determines appropriate. 
(c) DATA.—Any data included in the study or report 
under this section shall be disaggregated by race, eth-
nicity, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, geo-
graphic region, disability status, and other relevant fac-
tors, in a manner that, as appropriate and feasible, pro-
tects personal privacy and that is consistent with applica-
ble Federal and State privacy law. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For pur-
poses of carrying out this section, there is authorized to 
be appropriated $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2026. 
SEC. 5. STUDY AND REPORT ON THE HISPANIC AND LATINO 
MENTAL HEALTH WORKFORCE SHORTAGE. 
(a) STUDY.— 
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(1) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
Secretary, 
acting 
through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health 
and Substance Use, in coordination with the Admin-
istrator of the Health Resources and Services Ad-
ministration, the Director of the Office of Minority 
Health, the Surgeon General of the Public Health 
Service, and the Secretary of Labor, and shall con-
duct a study on strategies for increasing the mental 
health professional workforce that identify as His-
panic or Latino. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—Such study required under 
paragraph (1) shall address— 
(A) the total number of licensed clinical 
and non-clinical mental health providers who 
identify as Hispanic or Latino; 
(B) with respect to each such provider, in-
formation regarding the current license type, 
geographic location of practice, and type of em-
ployer (such as a hospital, federally-qualified 
health center (as defined in section 1861(aa)(4) 
of 
the 
Social 
Security 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
1395x(aa)(4)))), elementary school or secondary 
school (as such terms are defined in section 
8101 of the of the Elementary and Secondary 
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Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801), or 
private practice); 
(C) information regarding the languages 
spoken among providers, including the level of 
proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing 
such languages; and 
(D) the current enrollment of Hispanic 
and Latino individuals in mental health profes-
sional education programs. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
sions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce of the House of Representatives, and make 
publicly available, a report on the findings of the study 
conducted under subsection (a). Such report shall— 
(1) assess Hispanic and Latino clinical and 
non-clinical mental health providers’ knowledge and 
awareness of the barriers to quality mental health 
care services faced by Hispanic and Latino individ-
uals; 
(2) include recommendations for actions to be 
taken by the Secretary to increase the number of 
Hispanic and Latino clinical and non-clinical mental 
health professionals; 
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(3) include recommendations to improve enroll-
ment in mental health professional education pro-
grams among Hispanic and Latino individuals; and 
(4) include such other recommendations as the 
Secretary determines appropriate. 
(c) DATA.—Any data included in the study or report 
under this section shall be disaggregated by race, eth-
nicity, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, geo-
graphic region, disability status, and other relevant fac-
tors, in a manner that protects personal privacy and that 
is consistent with applicable Federal and State privacy 
law. 
(d) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘clinical 
and non-clinical mental health provider’’ means any indi-
vidual licensed to provide mental health or substance use 
disorder services, including in the professions of social 
work, psychology, psychiatry, marriage and family ther-
apy, mental health counseling, substance use disorder 
counseling, peer support, primary care, pediatrics, nurs-
ing, and other fields as determined by the Secretary. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For pur-
poses of carrying out this section, there is authorized to 
be appropriated $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2026. 
Æ 
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