Reps. Salinas, Harshbarger Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Mental Health Telehealth Services for Rural Americans

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representatives Andrea Salinas (OR-06) and Diana Harshbarger (TN-01) reintroduced the bipartisan Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act. Their legislation would expand access to telehealth services, including mental health and substance use care, for rural Americans who continue to face barriers to in-person care, especially for individuals working in the farming, fishing, and forestry industries.

"In Oregon and across the country, rural communities are facing the same impossible math: too many needs and too few providers," said Rep. Salinas. "Telehealth is already transforming care for veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities. Our bipartisan bill would extend these tools to farmers, ranchers, and fishers. This is a common-sense investment to help more Oregonians get the health care they need, where and when they need it."

"As someone who has spent more than 30 years caring for patients in one of the most rural districts in America, I know the barriers they face and how transformational home-based care can be," said Rep. Harshbarger. "By reintroducing this bipartisan bill, we are reaffirming a simple promise: rural patients - including those working in the farming, fishing and forestry industries should be able to access high-quality mental health and substance abuse services right from their own home. This legislation will help close the care gap, strengthen rural communities, and deliver real support to those who are struggling."

The bipartisan legislation establishes a new grant program to help public and nonprofit telemental health provider networks deliver mental health and substance use care remotely to people in rural and medically underserved communities. The program prioritizes individuals living in rural Health Professional Shortage Areas and people working in farming, fishing, and forestry, with grants awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services in consultation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Funding may be used to provide home-based telemental health services, expand access through broadband, devices, and telehealth technology, and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of care compared to in-person services. The bill authorizes $10 million annually from fiscal years 2025 through 2029 and requires HHS to report to Congress on program outcomes.

"The Oregon Council for Behavioral Health, as a non-profit trade association with a wide representation of rural and frontier providers, greatly appreciates and supports the Home-Based Telemental Health Act of 2025," said Heather Jefferis, M.A., Executive Director of the Oregon Council for Behavioral Health. "This bill will help expand access for communities and individuals who have significant barriers to care, including geographic distance, stigma, and a lack of providers in their community. We extend our gratitude to Congress for their attention to our rural and frontier communities' needs. Thank you for helping local providers save lives."

"People living in rural and medically underserved communities, especially people working in farming, fishing, and forestry, face some of the highest risks for mental health challenges while often having the fewest options for care," said Hannah Wesolowski, Chief Advocacy Officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). "Distance, workforce shortages, and stigma too often prevent people from getting help when they need it most. The Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act would expand access to care by delivering mental health and substance use services directly to people in their homes. NAMI is proud to support this legislation to help close the rural mental health access."

The legislation is endorsed by the Oregon Council for Behavioral Health (OCBH), the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Oregon (NAMI-OR), the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, and the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

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