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H.R. 7394House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Mental Health Career Promotion Act

Sponsored by Becca BalintRep. Becca Balint (D-VT)
Introduced February 5, 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 20, 2026 at 10:51 AM UTC

The Mental Health Career Promotion Act would set up a federal grant program to help schools and community colleges promote mental‑ and behavioral‑health careers to students. By funding partnerships between educational agencies, colleges, and community health providers, the program aims to increase student awareness, provide internships and mentorships, and ultimately grow the workforce in mental health fields. The program would run for five‑year grant periods, be funded with $50 million annually for five years, and require reporting on its effectiveness.

Key Provisions

  • Creates a new grant program, run by the HHS Secretary through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to fund projects that encourage students to consider careers in mental and behavioral health.
  • Grants can be given to partnerships that include local or state school districts, public junior or community colleges, and at least one community‑based mental‑health provider or similar organization.
  • Funded projects must target high‑school (grades 9‑12) or community‑college students and can include career‑focused presentations, internships, job‑shadowing, mentorships, or collaborations with higher‑education and health‑service groups.
  • Each grant lasts up to five years and can be renewed; the program must spread funding across diverse geographic areas.
  • HHS may offer technical help to high‑need schools and colleges applying for grants.
  • Recipients must collect data on their activities (no more than 10% of grant money) and submit annual reports; HHS must report the program’s results to Congress each year.
  • The law authorizes $50 million in funding for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2031.

Legislative Activity

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Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Energy and Commerce Committee

February 5, 2026

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 5, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Energy and Commerce Committee

February 5, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued February 5, 2026

I

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 7394

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 5, 2026

Ms. Balint (for herself, Mrs. Watson Coleman, and Ms. Norton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

A BILL

To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to establish a Mental and Behavioral Health Career Promotion Grant Program, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Mental Health Career Promotion Act.

2.

Mental and Behavioral Health Career Promotion Grant Program

Subpart 3 of part B of title V of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290bb–31 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

520O.

Mental and Behavioral Health Career Promotion Grant Program

(a)

In general

The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary, shall establish a program, to be known as the Mental and Behavioral Health Career Promotion Grant Program, to award grants to eligible entities to establish or expand eligible mental and behavioral health career promotion programs in schools served by local educational agencies or in public junior or community colleges.

(b)

Eligible entities

To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall be a partnership that includes—

(1)
(A)

1 or more local educational agencies, or a consortium of such local educational agencies; or

(B)

a State educational agency;

(2)

1 or more public junior or community colleges, or a consortium of such public junior or community colleges; and

(3)

at least 1—

(A)

community-based mental or behavioral health provider (such as a certified community behavioral health clinic, a community mental health center, an opioid treatment program, or a nonprofit mental health or substance use professional association); or

(B)

other community-based entity, as determined appropriate by the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary (such as a State or local behavioral health authority, a human service agency, a child welfare agency, or an institution of higher education, such as a historically Black college or university).

(c)

Eligible mental and behavioral health career promotion programs

To be eligible for a grant under this section, a mental and behavioral health career promotion program shall promote careers in mental and behavioral health to students in grades 9 through 12 or in public junior or community colleges, such as by—

(1)

providing educational presentations to students that increase exposure to and knowledge of careers in the mental and behavioral health field;

(2)

coordinating internships and externships for students who demonstrate an interest in mental and behavioral health;

(3)

providing opportunities for students to interact with and shadow mental and behavioral health care professionals;

(4)

providing students with mentorships and experiential learning opportunities; or

(5)

partnering with local institutions of higher education and community behavioral health organizations to promote careers in mental and behavioral health.

(d)

Activity requirement

A grant awarded under this section may only be used for activities that are developmentally, linguistically, and culturally appropriate.

(e)

Award duration; renewal

A grant awarded under this section shall be for a period of 5 years and may be renewed.

(f)

Geographical diversity

The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary, shall ensure that grants awarded under this section cover a diverse range of geographical areas.

(g)

Technical assistance

The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary, may provide technical assistance in seeking grants under this section to high-need local educational agencies and to public junior and community colleges.

(h)

Evaluation and measures of outcomes

(1)

In general

The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary, shall develop a fiscally appropriate process for evaluating activities carried out through grants awarded under this section. Under such process, the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary, shall—

(A)

provide to recipients of such grants—

(i)

guidelines for the submission to the Assistant Secretary of data concerning such activities; and

(ii)

measures of outcomes to be used by such recipients in evaluating the effectiveness of such activities (including outcomes related to the student, family, and local educational systems supported by such activities);

(B)

require each such recipient to submit to the Assistant Secretary annual reports—

(i)

containing data on such activities carried out by the recipient; and

(ii)

that use the measures of outcomes described in subparagraph (A)(ii) to evaluate the effectiveness of such activities; and

(C)

not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, submit to Congress a report describing the results and effectiveness of the programs under this section.

(2)

Limitation

A recipient of a grant under this section may not use more than 10 percent of the amounts received for data collection, performance measurement, and performance assessment.

(i)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Careers in mental and behavioral health

The term careers in mental and behavioral health means occupations whose primary intent and function is the direct treatment or recovery support of patients with, or in recovery from, a mental or behavioral health disorder, which may include—

(A)

physicians (including physicians with a degree of Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine);

(B)

advanced practice registered nurse practitioners;

(C)

social workers;

(D)

marriage and family therapists;

(E)

counselors (including addiction and mental health licensed professionals);

(F)

psychologists;

(G)

psychiatrists (including child and adolescent psychiatrists);

(H)

psychiatric aides;

(I)

neurologists;

(J)

peer support specialists;

(K)

addiction specialists and prevention specialists;

(L)

community health workers; and

(M)

physician assistants.

(2)

ESEA terms

The terms local educational agency and State educational agency have the meanings given such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

(3)

HEA terms

(A)

The terms institution of higher education, high-need local educational agency, and junior or community college have the meanings given such terms, respectively, in sections 101(a), 200, and 312(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

(B)

The term historically Black college or university has the meaning given the term part B institution under section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

(j)

Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

.