College Students Continuation of Mental Health Care Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 5357
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-09-15: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-25T08:08:25Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The College Students Continuation of Mental Health Care Act of 2025 aims to ensure college students can continue receiving mental health services from their school's providers via telehealth (remote delivery using technology like video or audio calls) even if the student is temporarily in a different state. It creates a limited exception to state licensing rules to support uninterrupted care during travel, breaks, or short-term absences.
Key Provisions
- Licensing Reciprocity: College mental health providers (individuals licensed in the state where their employing college or university is located) can deliver services through telehealth to "covered students" (current enrollees or those who attended classes within the past 3 months) in any U.S. state, District of Columbia, or territory, unless the provider is explicitly barred from practicing there.
- Requirements for Providing Services:
- Verify the student's identity.
- Obtain the student's (or their legal representative's) oral or written agreement to receive telehealth services, with a record kept.
- Confirm at least two ways to contact the student if technology fails.
- For first-time patients: Get written confirmation of establishing a treatment relationship, or use real-time communication (e.g., live video or audio).
- Scope of Practice: Providers must follow their home state's (primary state) licensing rules but cannot offer services banned or restricted in the student's current state.
- Insurance Coverage: Medical malpractice insurance must treat these telehealth services as if they occurred in the provider's primary state.
- Interstate Agreements: Congress consents to states forming compacts (formal agreements) to expand telehealth access for college providers, as long as they align with this law.
- Definitions:
- College mental health provider: A licensed professional employed by a college or university to serve its students.
- Institution of higher education: Defined under federal law as accredited colleges, universities, or similar schools offering degrees or certificates.
- Telehealth technology: Tools like video, audio, or data-sharing systems for remote mental health care.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- This bill overrides typical state-specific licensing requirements for mental health professionals, which often prevent providers from treating patients across state lines without dual licensure. It introduces a narrow federal exception focused solely on college-employed providers and their students, without altering broader telehealth or licensing laws.
- It builds on existing federal telehealth flexibilities (e.g., from COVID-19 waivers) but makes them permanent and targeted for higher education settings.
Potential Impacts
- On Citizens (Students): Improves access to familiar mental health care during travel or remote learning, reducing disruptions for the estimated 20 million U.S. college students who may face mental health needs away from campus.
- On Government Agencies: Minimal direct impact on federal agencies, but states' licensing boards may need to adjust enforcement or track exclusions. Encourages state-level compacts, potentially streamlining interstate coordination.
- On International Relations: No direct effects, as the law applies only within U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia.
- Broader Effects: Could lower barriers to mental health support in underserved rural or transient student populations, though it doesn't address funding or reimbursement for services.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- College Mental Health Providers: Gain flexibility to serve students remotely without obtaining licenses in multiple states.
- Students at Institutions of Higher Education: Benefit from continued care continuity, especially during holidays, study abroad (within the U.S.), or emergencies.
- Institutions of Higher Education: Easier to retain student well-being programs, potentially reducing dropout rates linked to mental health issues.
- Insurance Companies: Must extend malpractice coverage across states for these services, which could slightly increase administrative costs but promote equity.
- State Licensing Boards and Governments: Retain authority to exclude unfit providers but lose some control over out-of-state practice in this limited context.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Represents federal preemption (overriding) of state professional licensing laws under Congress's commerce clause authority, but only in a targeted way to avoid broad challenges. It balances patient access with state protections by prohibiting unsafe practices.
- Constitutional: Aligns with interstate commerce powers; no apparent free speech or privacy issues, as it includes consent and record-keeping safeguards under health privacy laws like HIPAA (not altered here).
- Political: Supports bipartisan mental health priorities, especially post-pandemic, by addressing college student wellness without mandating new spending. Could inspire similar reciprocity for other professions, but risks state pushback if seen as eroding local regulation.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (18)
Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2], Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3], Rep. Wittman, Robert J. [R-VA-1], Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large], Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13], Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6], Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1], Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3], Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2], Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1], Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5], Rep. Shreve, Jefferson [R-IN-6], Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12], Rep. Latimer, George [D-NY-16], Rep. James, John [R-MI-10], Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2], Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6], Rep. Kean, Thomas H. [R-NJ-7]
Recent Actions
- 2025-09-15: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-09-15: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-09-15: Introduced in House
- 2025-09-15: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- College Students Continuation of Mental Health Care Act of 2025 — issued 2025-09-15 — PDF (6 pages)