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C.A.R.E. for Mental Health Professionals Act
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to establish a grant program to be known as the Mental Health Licensure Portability Program to award grants to eligible entities, and for other purposes.
Summary
- Establishes a Mental Health Licensure Portability Program within 90 days to award grants for mental health professional licensure initiatives.
- Funds projects that incentivize mental health counselors to practice in States that have entered into interstate compacts for license recognition.
- Supports development, operation, and maintenance of interstate compact commissions that facilitate professional license recognition across participating States.
- Defines interstate compacts as occupational licensure agreements between two or more States based on mutual recognition of professional qualifications.
- Eligible entities include professional mental health compact commissions and state licensure boards participating in occupational licensure interstate compacts.
- Authorizes $4 million in funding for fiscal years 2026 through 2029.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
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![Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/N000191.thumb.jpg)
Rep. Neguse, Joe (D-CO) [#2]
1 cosponsor
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![Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/F000466.thumb.jpg)
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. (R-PA) [#1]
Actions (2)
- Jul 22, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. · house
- Jul 22, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
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Text versions (1)
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Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 22, 2026
Mr. Neguse (for himself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to establish a grant program to be known as the Mental Health Licensure Portability Program to award grants to eligible entities, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Compacts, Access, and Responsible Expansion for Mental Health Professionals Act” or the “C.A.R.E. for Mental Health Professionals Act”.
SEC. 2. MENTAL HEALTH LICENSURE PORTABILITY PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator, shall establish a grant program to be known as the Mental Health Licensure Portability Program to award grants to eligible entities for projects to—
(1) incentivize counselors to practice in States that have entered into interstate compacts for the purpose of expanding the workforce of credentialed mental health professionals; and
(2) develop, operate, or maintain interstate compact commissions authorized to effectuate the provisions of interstate compacts entered into by such States.
(b) Definitions.—In this Act:
(1) Administrator.—The term “Administrator” means the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration.
(2) Commission.—The term “commission” means a joint interstate governmental agency comprised of States that have entered into an interstate compact for the purpose of implementing, facilitating, and effectuating provisions of such interstate compact.
(3) Counselor.—The term “counselor” means a licensed professional that is trained to give guidance to individuals, families, and groups with respect to personal, social, or psychological problems.
(4) Eligible entity.—The term “eligible entity” means a professional, psychiatric, psychological, social work, or pediatric counseling interstate compact commission or licensure board of a State that is participating in an occupational licensure interstate compact.
(5) Interstate compact.—The term “compact” means an occupational licensure agreement enacted by 2 or more States that is based on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications through criteria stipulated in such agreement, in which a State agrees to recognize the issuance of a license by another State to a counselor, psychiatrist, psychologist, or pediatric mental health professional.
(6) State.—The term “State” has the meaning given the term in section 6501 of title 31, United States Code.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029. <all>
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