HEART Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9365
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-18: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-06T21:20:59Z
AI-Generated Summary
Summary of H.R. 9365 (HEART Act of 2026)
Purpose
This legislation directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create an office that helps communities deliver mental health services to people affected by trauma linked to federal immigration enforcement actions.
Key Provisions
- Office Establishment: Creates the "Office of Immigrant Community Mental Health and Resilience" within the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, led by a Director appointed by the Secretary.
- Office Duties:
- Supports mental health services for individuals experiencing fear-based trauma from immigration enforcement.
- Establishes mobile mental health response teams and emergency counseling vouchers.
- Runs a grant program for eligible entities.
- Provides guidance to states on Medicaid options for affected individuals.
- Creates a reporting process for states, local governments, and community groups to share details on enforcement actions.
- Submits annual reports to Congress on public health impacts, with recommendations for care in medically underserved areas.
- Aids in hiring culturally competent behavioral health specialists and training providers.
- Supports community efforts like "know your rights" campaigns on health care, multilingual public awareness, educational materials on trauma, and trauma-informed family stabilization services.
- Grant Program: Awards funds to eligible entities (such as states, local governments, federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, tribal health organizations, local educational agencies, faith-based groups, or community organizations) for trauma-informed mental health services, crisis counseling, behavioral health responses, "know your rights" campaigns, mobile services, and integration with school-based care.
- Data Protection: Prohibits sharing collected data, actions, or information with the Department of Homeland Security or other federal immigration enforcement agencies.
- Funding: Authorizes transfers of necessary amounts from sections 90003, 100051, and 100052 of Public Law 119-21 to the Secretary, available until spent.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces a new federal office and grant program focused on mental health support tied to immigration enforcement impacts, without directly amending prior statutes.
- Adds requirements for data collection and annual congressional reporting on enforcement-related public health effects.
- References existing Medicaid flexibilities but expands guidance on their use for this specific population.
- Establishes a prohibition on inter-agency data sharing that does not appear in prior related laws.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to create and staff a new office, manage grants, and handle reporting; may increase coordination with states and local entities while limiting data flow to enforcement agencies.
- Citizens: Provides access to mental health services, counseling, and community programs for residents in areas affected by immigration enforcement, potentially including multilingual and school-integrated support.
- International Relations: No direct provisions or effects are outlined in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Communities and local jurisdictions experiencing immigration enforcement actions.
- States, local governments, and community-based organizations eligible for grants or reporting.
- Health care providers, including federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, tribal health organizations, and behavioral health specialists.
- Local educational agencies and schools involved in integrated services.
- Faith-based organizations providing health or social services.
- Individuals in medically underserved communities facing fear-based trauma.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- The data-sharing prohibition may raise questions about inter-agency coordination and information privacy under existing federal frameworks.
- The focus on enforcement-related trauma introduces a targeted public health approach that could intersect with broader immigration policy without altering enforcement authority.
- Reliance on transferred funds from prior appropriations law ties implementation to existing budget mechanisms.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray [D-CA-31]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-18: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2026-06-18: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-18: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Healing and Equity for Enforcement-Affected Residents and Trauma Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-18 — PDF (7 pages)