CARE for Mental Health Professionals Act

Angus S. King Jr.

Independent · ME · Senator

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

No cosponsors on record. Bills can pass without cosponsors — this often means the sponsor introduced the bill alone, either because it's a messaging bill, a chairman's mark, or simply early in the legislative cycle.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

2026-07-27

Source: Congress.gov

The federal government would create a grant program to help mental health professionals more easily work across state lines by reducing barriers related to getting licensed in multiple states. States and organizations that participate would receive federal funding to streamline their licensing processes and recognize credentials from other states. This would make it easier for therapists, counselors, and other mental health workers to serve patients in different states without having to go through lengthy re-licensing procedures in each one.

AI-assisted summary generated from the official bill metadata (title, subjects, actions) sourced from Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed. Always verify against the official text linked below.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 5137 Introduced in Senate (IS)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 5137 To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to establish a grant program to be known as the Mental Health Licensure Portability Program to award grants to eligible entities, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 27, 2026 Mr. King introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to establish a grant program to be known as the Mental Health Licensure Portability Program to award grants to eligible entities, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Compacts, Access, and Responsible Expansion for Mental Health Professionals Act'' or the ``CARE for Mental Health Professionals Act''. SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH LICENSURE PORTABILITY PROGRAM. (a) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator, shall establish a grant program to be known as the Mental Health Licensure Portability Program to award grants to eligible entities for projects to-- (1) incentivize counselors to practice in States that have entered into interstate compacts for the purpose of expanding the workforce of credentialed mental health professionals; and (2) develop, operate, or maintain interstate compact commissions authorized to effectuate the provisions of interstate compacts entered into by such States. (b) Definitions.--In this Act: (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration. (2) Commission.--The term ``commission'' means a joint interstate governmental agency comprised of States that have entered into an interstate compact for the purpose of implementing, facilitating, and effectuating provisions of such interstate compact. (3) Counselor.--The term ``counselor'' means a licensed professional that is trained to give guidance to individuals, families, and groups with respect to personal, social, or psychological problems. (4) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a professional, psychiatric, psychological, social work, or pediatric counseling interstate compact commission or licensure board of a State that is participating in an occupational licensure interstate compact. (5) Interstate compact.--The term ``compact'' means an occupational licensure agreement enacted by 2 or more States that is based on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications through criteria stipulated in such agreement, in which a State agrees to recognize the issuance of a license by another State to a counselor, psychiatrist, psychologist, or pediatric mental health professional. (6) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given the term in section 6501 of title 31, United States Code. (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030. <all>

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