Sponsors (4)
The bill invests federal funds to build a culturally responsive pipeline into mental and behavioral health careers—benefiting students and future patients—while creating modest federal costs and risks of administrative strain and uneven geographic distribution of benefits.
Schools, community colleges, and underserved communities receive $50 million per year (FY2026–2030) to run programs, training, and partnerships that expose students to mental and behavioral health careers.
Patients with mental and behavioral health needs and health systems likely gain improved future access to care as the program expands the pipeline into mental and behavioral health professions.
Students in grades 9–12 and community college students gain hands-on exposure to careers through internships, mentorships, and experiential learning, improving career awareness and potential workforce entry.
High-need local educational agencies and rural communities risk receiving less funding if competitive grant processes and geographic diversity requirements end up favoring other applicants.
Schools, universities, and grant recipients may face substantial administrative burden from evaluation, data reporting, and meeting cultural/developmental requirements, diverting staff time and funds from direct program delivery.
Grant recipients and taxpayers may see limitations on rigorous program evaluation because only up to 10% of grant spending can be used for data and performance assessment, potentially hindering program improvement.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates an HHS grant program to fund school and community college mental/behavioral health career-promotion programs and authorizes $50M/year for FY2026–2030.
Creates a new HHS grant program to recruit and promote careers in mental and behavioral health for high school students (grades 9–12) and students at public junior/community colleges. Grants go to partnerships of local education agencies or public community colleges together with community-based mental health providers to establish or expand career-promotion programs, include evaluation and reporting requirements, and are funded at $50 million per year for FY2026–2030. Grants support multi-year (5-year, renewable) programs with culturally and developmentally appropriate activities (career exposure, internships, certifications, counseling, pathway articulation), require geographic diversity and annual reporting to Congress, allow HHS technical assistance, cap evaluation spending at 10%, and authorize HHS to award and oversee the program.
Official title: 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.
Introduced February 5, 2026 by Alejandro Padilla · Last progress February 5, 2026