Sponsors (25)
The bill expands and standardizes peer support services and raises the occupation’s visibility—potentially improving access and service quality for people with mental health and substance use needs—while imposing implementation costs on states, employers, and taxpayers and creating risks of uneven adoption or safety trade-offs if states change background-check or certification practices.
People with mental health conditions or substance use disorders will gain expanded access to certified peer support specialists and recovery-support services, improving engagement and recovery outcomes.
States, providers, and systems will have standardized best-practice guidance and certification frameworks for peer specialists, improving consistency and quality of services across programs.
Peer support specialists will gain formal occupational recognition in federal labor data (SOC codes), increasing visibility for employers and policymakers and helping workforce planning, wages tracking, and career advancement.
States, small nonprofits, and employers may face administrative, training, and certification costs to implement new standards and supervision requirements, raising operational expenses.
If states feel pressure to relax background-check barriers recommended to improve access, hospitals and clients could face increased workplace or client safety risks.
Access may remain uneven if states adopt varied certification standards or do not implement recommendations, leaving rural and other communities with shortages of certified peer specialists.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Adds a federal occupational category for peer support specialists, creates a SAMHSA Office of Recovery, and directs a federal report to reduce certification barriers tied to background checks.
Introduced April 8, 2025 by Andrea Salinas · Last progress April 8, 2025
Creates federal recognition and supports for peer support specialists by defining the role, requiring the Standard Occupational Classification system to add a peer support specialist category by January 1, 2026, and establishing an Office of Recovery inside SAMHSA to lead training, technical assistance, data, and workforce development. Directs HHS (with the Attorney General) to produce a report reviewing state criminal background check rules that affect peer specialist certification and to recommend ways to reduce barriers to entering the workforce. The bill requires peer support services to align with national practice guidelines and SAMHSA core competencies, sets leadership qualifications for the new Office of Recovery (including lived experience), and tasks the Office with publishing best practices, supporting professional development and retention, and developing career pathways for peer support specialists. It does not appropriate funds or change tax or Medicaid benefit law directly, but could affect state certification and Medicaid program implementation over time.